The Detroit Pistons opened their second-round series with a 111-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena, led by Cade Cunningham’s 23 points and Tobias Harris’ 20-point contribution.
Harris used his postgame press conference to highlight the tone-setting start, the defensive pressure, and the way Detroit handled late-game swings in a possession-heavy matchup.
He pointed to Jalen Duren’s activity throughout the game, saying, “Just being active all game long. I thought he was all over the game. I thought just his movements on the offensive end and defensive end, he was like all over the place. Just getting offensive boards, creating winning plays, extra plays for the whole group.”
Harris added, “Extra effort plays. And that’s what playoff basketball is about. It’s just exerting yourself all throughout the game and stepping up.”
Detroit forced 20 turnovers that led to 31 points, a swing factor against Cleveland’s backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Harris said, “I mean that’s our system defensively. We know they have guys who can get buckets out there at the guard position. So it’s really maintaining them and making every single one of their looks hard.”
The Pistons built an early 18-point lead behind defensive execution and transition pressure. Harris said, “I thought our defense was dialed in early in the game. We just were in the moment of getting stops, getting plays offensively.”
He also emphasized the importance of playoff experience carried over from the previous series, stating, “We talked before the game, don’t let that be our team. Right?”
Cleveland erased the deficit late, but Detroit closed the final stretch with poise. Harris said, “Just staying composed. I think everybody kind of understands from the last round, we’ve been here before.”
He also described the mindset during Cleveland’s run, noting, “It was kind of like just changing the narrative of our body language and our energy.”
The Pistons responded with key plays from Cunningham, Duren, Duncan Robinson, and Daniss Jenkins. Harris said, “Total team effort. And we just got to keep it rolling.”
Defensively, Detroit’s approach centered on disrupting rhythm and forcing difficult decisions. Harris explained, “They’re dynamic scorers, can score from the three, off the bounce, and can get to the rim. So we have to be as solid and as present as ever with our system defensively.”
He also pointed to continued growth since the Orlando series, saying, “I think we’re playing like a step quicker in terms of our instincts on the floor. Offensively and defensively.”
Looking ahead, Harris described Cleveland as a different challenge, stating, “That’s a brand new series… A lot of scorers in this group that can get buckets. Big team as well.”
Detroit leads the series 1-0 heading into Game 2 on Thursday.
