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Pistons’ Cade Cunningham ties Isiah Thomas’ record after wild Game 2 vs. Cavaliers
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- Pistons’ Cade Cunningham ties Isiah Thomas’ record after wild Game 2 vs. Cavaliers
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The Detroit Pistons took full advantage of their home-court Thursday night, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to take a 2-0 series lead. The victory was Detroit’s fifth straight win of the 2026 playoffs and saw Cade Cunningham tie a franchise milestone in the process.
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Cunningham finished with 25 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, one steal and two blocks while shooting 7-for-14 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. It was his third 25-point, 10-assist performance of the postseason, matching the Pistons’ single-playoff record set by Isiah Thomas in 1985.
Although Cunningham had only six first-half points, he took over late. He scored 12 points in the final six minutes, including two crucial 3-pointers. His stepback triple over Max Strus with 2:12 remaining pushed Detroit’s advantage to 101-92 and effectively ended Cleveland’s comeback hopes.
The Pistons received balanced production throughout the lineup. Tobias Harris scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and extended his streak of 20-point playoff games to seven straight. Duncan Robinson added 17 points while knocking down five 3-pointers, including a tiebreaking shot midway through the fourth quarter. Daniss Jenkins chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench, while Ausar Thompson contributed 10 points, six rebounds, two steals and a clutch late defensive play against James Harden .
Detroit built a 14-point first-half lead and shot 53.7% before halftime while limiting the Cavaliers to 39.5% shooting. Cleveland rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Pistons 32-22 after Thompson exited early with foul trouble. The Cavaliers momentarily grabbed an 81-79 lead early in the fourth following a 6-0 run.
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Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 31 points on 11-for-24 shooting, while Jarrett Allen added 22 points and seven rebounds. Harden struggled mightily, finishing with 10 points on a brutal 3-for-13 shooting and committing four turnovers. The Cavaliers also went scoreless from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, missing all 11 attempts and finishing 7-for-32 from deep overall.
Game 3 shifts to Cleveland on Saturday, where the Cavaliers swept the Toronto Raptors 4-0 in the first round.
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