Cade Cunningham leads Detroit Pistons to Game 1 win over Cavaliers
Cade Cunningham scored 23 points as the top-seeded Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal on Tuesday.
The victory in Michigan ended a historic 12-game postseason losing streak against the Ohio franchise that stretched back to 2007.
Tobias Harris contributed 20 points and Duncan Robinson added 19 to help secure the opening matchup of the second-round series.
Cavaliers fight back but fall short
Cleveland trailed by as many as 18 points before rallying to tie the game at 93-all with just over five minutes remaining.
James Harden, making his first appearance against Detroit since being acquired by the Cavaliers, sparked the late comeback with seven consecutive points.
However, Jalen Duren quickly restored order for the hosts by blocking a crucial Harden attempt before converting three successive dunks off Cunningham assists.
Donovan Mitchell led the visitors with 23 points, though the dynamic guard saw his NBA-record streak of scoring at least 30 points in nine consecutive series openers finally snapped.
Remarkable turnaround continues
Detroit’s impressive playoff run marks a staggering transformation for a franchise that suffered an NBA-record 28 consecutive regular-season defeats just two years ago.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has masterminded a 60-win campaign and secured the Central Division title, notably achieving this success immediately after being dismissed by Cleveland.
Both sides entered the contest heavily fatigued after surviving gruelling seven-game battles in the opening round of the postseason.
The number one seeds will look to double their series advantage when they host Game 2 on Thursday evening.