3 Cavs to blame for tough Game 2 loss to Pistons

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3 Cavs to blame for tough Game 2 loss to Pistons

Gerard Angelo Samillano, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Fri, May 8, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are in deep, deep trouble. After losing Game 2 of their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons , Cleveland is now down 0-2 against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It’s not the place you want to be in, especially after barely escaping the first round against the Toronto Raptors .

What may be more concerning about the Cavaliers’ loss, though, is how they lost the game. Cleveland got punched in the mouth early by the Pistons’ suffocating defense, scoring just 18 points in the first quarter. While they were able to claw their way back into the game, they faltered at the end by falling into the same pitfalls that doomed them all season long.

Which players are most to blame for the Cavaliers’ Game 2 loss? Let’s take a closer look at the game.

James Harden

This is just unacceptable for someone of James Harden ’s caliber, yet it’s unsurprising that this happened.

Harden’s career has been sullied by a nasty reputation that he’s acquired over the years. Many have called the star guard a “playoff choker” for his penchant to disappear in important postseason games. Games like his performance in Game 2 certainly don’t help in removing this blemish in his career.

In Game 2 against the Cavaliers, Harden was downright dreadful. He was an awful 3-of-13 from the field, scoring just 10 points while playing 36 minutes. What was even more awful was Harden’s decision-making all game long. Cleveland reverted to isolation basketball late in the game, and Harden was ineffective in these spots. The Pistons were able to disrupt Harden’s rhythm and forced him to take ill-advised shots.

Perhaps the best encapsulation of Harden’s performance in Game 2 happened late in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers were down two possessions, but with 50 seconds left, a made three would have given them a fighting chance. Instead, Harden lazily drove to the basket and opted to pass to Jarrett Allen in the middle instead of kicking it out. When Allen passed it back to Harden, the guard once again tried to get to the rim, only to get stopped and get the ball stolen.

If the Cavaliers want any chance of winning this series, Harden needs to be much better.

Evan Mobley

Like Harden, Evan Mobley ’s gotten a bad rep around the league. Despite being over seven feet tall, the Cavaliers forward/center seems to disappear in the postseason. The heightened physicality in the playoffs seems to wear down on the All-Star even more.

That was apparent in Game 2. Mobley had just nine points throughout the game, failing to impose his will on the Pistons. When given the ball, Mobley was unable to generate good looks for himself. What’s even more worrying, though, is his inability to get on the boards. Mobley finished the game with just one rebound. Yes, just ONE rebound in nearly 36 minutes of play.

This is simply not going to cut it in the playoffs. The Cavaliers came into the series as heavy underdogs in large part due to their frontcourt. Many worried that the physicality and ruggedness of the Pistons’ bigs would neutralize Mobley and Allen. Thus far, the detractors have been proven right, even more so for Mobley.

Cavs’ shooters

If the Cavaliers were going to win this series, they needed to rely on their outside shooting to stretch the Pistons’ defense. In Game 2, that shooting prowess completely abandoned Cleveland.

The Cavaliers shot a putrid 7 of 32 from three point range, making just 21.9% of their attempts from deep. Their usual sharpshooters were unusually cold: Max Strus went 1-6, Harden went 0-4, Donovan Mitchell was just 2-9, and Mobley was 1-4. The only shooters who were able to make shots were Dean Wade (2-4) and Keon Ellis (1-1).

To make matters worse, the Cavaliers went a tragic 0-11 from three-point range in the fourth quarter. They were unable to answer the three-point barrage from Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson , and they were unable to dig themselves out of the hole they found themselves in late in the game.

Three-point shooting teams are starting to struggle more and more as the postseason progresses. The Cavaliers need to get back on track if they want any chance of coming back. Game 3 will be played in Cleveland on Saturday. Will Cleveland make the necessary adjustments?

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