Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 at home on Thursday, May 7 in a low-scoring game: just 204 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pistons had the better start, winning the first 25-18 to lead by 7 after one. The Pistons kept the pressure on with a 29-25 second quarter, carrying a 11-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers won the third 32-25 to stay in front, taking a 4-point lead into the fourth. The Pistons took the fourth 28-22; the Pistons finished the job for a 107-97 regulation win.
What decided it
The Pistons got more from their shots, finishing at 57.5% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.3% for the Cavaliers. The Pistons grabbed 30.8% of their own misses, while the Cavaliers recovered 23.1%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Cavaliers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 27.2 against 18.8. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 91 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 117.8 points per 100 possessions to 106.8 for the Cavaliers.
Who made the difference
Cade Cunningham was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 25 pts, 3 reb, 10 ast on 7-14 shooting. His Game Score of 22.1 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 22 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast on 7-9 shooting, good for a 21.8 Game Score.
Cade Cunningham (25 pts, 3 reb, 10 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Pistons about a 75% chance.
Across the last 9 meetings in our records, Cleveland Cavaliers lead 5-4.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.