Cavaliers again crumble at end, trail Pistons 2-0 in series

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had 25 points and 10 assists and Tobias Harris scored 21 points as the Detroit Pistons beat the Cavaliers 107-97 Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series. Game 3 is Saturday in Cleveland, where the Cavs were 4-0 in the first round against Toronto. The top-seeded Pistons have won five straight games since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in the first round. "We're going to keep swinging," reserve guard Daniss Jenkins said. "We're still trying to prove something to ourselves." Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a poor performance in Game 1 for the fourth-seeded Cavs. James Harden, though, missed 10-of-13 shots and was limited to 10 points. Harden had four turnovers, including one with 33 seconds left when the Cavs trailed by just six. "We just wear on you," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "That's what our objective is." Cleveland's Max Strus scored just three points after he had 19 in the series opener. The Cavs went 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, with Strus having four of the misses. "Unfortunately, it was not a night where we shot the ball well — 7-of-32 from three," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. Detroit's Duncan Robinson had 17 points, making 5-of-9 3-pointers, and Jenkins came off the bench to score 14 points, his third straight game in double figures. "I don't think people can keep up with my pace and my speed," Jenkins said. Cleveland made the first shot but didn't lead again until Evan Mobley's dunk put the visitors ahead 81-79 early in the fourth quarter. The Pistons led by 11 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second quarter. "I don't know what it is with the start of games," Atkinson said. "They came out super aggressive of course, but it's the playoffs. Obviously, we haven't figured that one out. Still back to the drawing board." The Cavs scored the first six points of the final quarter and Detroit responded with plays at both ends of the court. Robinson had a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 9:40 left and Cunningham made a 3-pointer to put the Pistons ahead by nine points with 2:12 to go, sealing the victory. Cavs reserve guard Sam Merrill missed Game 2 with a hamstring injury after he was hurt in in the series opener.