Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 on the road on Friday, May 15. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pistons struck first, taking the opening quarter 27-25 and a 2-point lead after one. The Pistons kept the pressure on with a 27-26 second quarter, carrying a 3-point lead into halftime.
The Pistons won the third 30-19 to create some separation, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Pistons took the fourth 31-24; the Pistons finished the job for a 115-94 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Pistons got more from their shots, finishing at 62.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.8% for the Cavaliers. The Pistons took better care of the ball, turning it over on 18% of possessions compared with 21.2% for the Cavaliers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Cavaliers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 28.6 against 15.9. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 94 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 122 points per 100 possessions to 99.7 for the Cavaliers.
The Pistons' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 50-16.
Who stood out
Jalen Duren was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 15 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast, 3 blk on 7-10 shooting. His Game Score of 16.8 led everyone. His team was +9 with him on the floor.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast on 5-6 shooting, good for a 16.6 Game Score.
Jalen Duren (15 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 42% for the Pistons.
Across the last 13 meetings in our records, Cleveland Cavaliers lead 8-5.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.