Detroit Pistons (44-14) beat Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) 122-119 at home on Friday, February 27 in overtime.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Cavaliers struck first, taking the opening quarter 35-27 and a 8-point lead after one. The Pistons cut into the deficit with a 23-19 second quarter, though the Cavaliers still led by 4 at halftime.
The Pistons won the third 35-30 to turn the game around, taking a 1-point lead into the fourth. The Cavaliers answered with a 30-29 fourth quarter, forcing overtime at 114.
The Pistons finally separated the teams in overtime, winning it 8-5 to close out a 122-119 victory.
What decided it
The Pistons grabbed 41.2% of their own misses, while the Cavaliers recovered 23.9%. The Pistons took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12.2% of possessions compared with 15.2% for the Cavaliers. In a 3-point game, the second chances kept adding up.
The Cavaliers did win one battle, shooting: eFG% of 52.7% against 49%. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 109 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 111.7 points per 100 possessions to 109 for the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 44-27.
Who stepped up
Jalen Duren was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 33 pts, 16 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk on 11-19 shooting. His Game Score of 34.9 led everyone. His team was +14 with him on the floor.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 25 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast on 10-12 shooting, good for a 23.8 Game Score.
Jalen Duren (33 pts, 16 reb, 3 ast), Cade Cunningham (25 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast), and Evan Mobley (23 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Pistons about a 67% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Cleveland Cavaliers lead 4-2.
The Pistons are now 44-14, and the Cavaliers are 37-24. The Pistons last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.