Pistons down Cavs 107-97, take 2-0

Detroit just did the loud part. The Pistons beat Cleveland 107-97 in Game 2 on May 7 and took a 2-0 lead in the East semifinals. That matters because this was not a fluky split or a weird one-night shooting spike. Detroit controlled long stretches again, then had the best player late again — Cade Cunningham — and now Cleveland has to solve the series on its own floor. (apnews.com) ### How did Detroit win this one? The Pistons got out in front early, led 54-43 at halftime, absorbed Cleveland’s push in the third, then closed with a 28-22 fourth quarter. That shape matters. Cleveland never fully flipped the game. Detroit kept getting back to its own pace, its own matchups, and its own late-game initiator. (espn.com) ### What did Cade Cunningham actually do? Cunningham finished with 25 points and 10 assists, but the key number was 12 fourth-quarter points. He didn’t just score — he settled the game. Every time Cleveland threatened, Detroit had a possession that looked organized, calm, and intentional. In a playoff game that got (espn.com)g over.” (apnews.com) ### Who gave Detroit the extra lift? Tobias Harris added 21 points, Duncan Robinson scored 17, and Daniss Jenkins chipped in 14. That supporting scoring is a big deal because it keeps Cunningham from having to manufacture every good look himself. Detroit’s offense looked layere(apnews.com)e guy and call it a plan. (apnews.com) ### What went wrong for Cleveland? The Cavs had the biggest individual scorer in the game — ESPN’s box score shows 31 points from Cleveland’s top scorer — but the team still came up short because the late-game offense got messy. NBA.com’s takeaways put it bluntly: Cleveland los(apnews.com) offense stops generating clean possessions, the game slips fast. (espn.com) ### Why does 2-0 feel so big here? Because Detroit was the No. 1 seed and already protected home court twice. Now the series shifts to Cleveland with the Pistons holding all the leverage. The Cavs don’t just need a win — they need to prove the first two games were fixable. If Game 3 turns into another Cunningham fou(espn.com)d starts looking decided. (msn.com) ### Was this just one quarter? Not really. The fourth was the headline, but Detroit’s edge started earlier. The Pistons won the first quarter 25-18 and the second 29-25, which bought them room when Cleveland (msn.com)espn.com) ### So what does Cleveland need now? Cleveland needs cleaner late possessions, more reliable half-court creation, and a way to keep Cunningham from dictating every big moment. That sounds obvious, but it’s the whole series now. Detroit has shown it can win the grindy version and the closing-time version. Cleveland has to show it has a counter before 2-0 becomes 3-0. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? The Pistons didn’t just hold serve. They grabbed control. Two games in, Detroit looks like the steadier team, Cunningham looks like the series’ defining player, and Cleveland is the side facing the real questions now. (apnews.com)