I can’t say I was surprised that the Detroit Pistons dropped Game 4 in Cleveland and saw their 2-0 series lead tighten to 2-2. The Pistons are a talented but incredibly imperfect team, the Cavaliers have loads of dangerous players, and Cleveland is undefeated at home in these playoffs. A seven-game series suddenly becoming a three-game series? Not shocking. What was shocking was just how lost Detroit looked on the offensive end in a decisive third quarter that saw Cleveland go on a 22-0 run and take
full control of the game. The Pistons looked unsure, unconfident, and for the first time in these playoffs, Cade Cunningham seemed like he didn’t really trust his teammates. Needless to say, that can’t happen again as the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5. If Detroit holds serve at home, which would keep the Cavs winless on the road, they will take the series. If the Pistons drop the game tonight, I wouldn’t have much hope of a rebound in a potentially series-clinching game in Cleveland.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: ESPN
Odds: Pistons -3.5
Analysis
Cade Cunningham needs to learn how to navigate the hard trap. Ausar Thompson needs to not have his worst game on both ends of the floor. A Detroit Pistons big man needs to step up in a big way on either offense or defense — Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Paul Reed, I don’t care who, it just has to be somebody. Also, it’d be nice if the team could scheme some open looks for Duncan Robinson and it’d be even nicer to see Tobias Harris score 20-plus again. All of those are the key ingredients for a Pistons victory tonight. It isn’t complicated.
We know what this team is, and we know what this team is not. We know where it will struggle the most and what can happen when it is able to leverage its many strengths. Cade can be a killer. Defense can lead to early offense. The Pistons can dominate the paint.
Detroit doesn’t really need any magic tricks, it just needs several players to perform up to their own standards. Or, to put it more crassly, important players need to stop puking all over their own shoes.
Frankly, I don’t need to see Jalen Duren be a 30-point, 15-rebound beast and flip the narrative on what has been a bad playoffs for him. I need him to defend, rebound, and score a few opportune baskets and second-chance opportunities. I don’t need Ausar Thompson to become a perimeter threat that he is not. He just need to not find himself in foul trouble and stay on the floor to be impactful on both ends the way we know he can be. I don’t need Cade Cunningham to go shot-for-shot with Donovan Mitchell. I need him to set the tone and pace of the game, orchestrate the offense, and stop turning the ball over. His offense will be there. It always is. I do need Paul Reed, I think. I just do.
Finally, let’s talk about free throws briefly. Detroit got a terrible whistle in Cleveland, and it wasn’t much better in Game 2. In the past three games, the Cavs have shot 35 more free throws than the Pistons in the past three games. That feels pretty important in a series where the margin of victory on either side hasn’t eclipsed 10 points.
JB Bickerstaff did after Game 4 exactly what Kenny Atkinson did after Game 1 — complained about the officiating. It worked for Kenny. Will it work for JB? My crystal ball says the Pistons are going to get to the line much more tonight than they did in Game 4. The Cavs weren’t called for a single foul in the first quarter. That’s just weird. But I don’t expect Detroit to stop fouling. They foul a lot. It’s part of their game plan and DNA to not give the opponent easy buckets. But there can’t be such a wild disparity for Detroit to have a chance.
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (2-2)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2)
James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Question of the Game
How many minutes should Paul Reed play in tonight’s game?
