Daniss Jenkins said the Detroit Pistons’ fourth-quarter response against the Cleveland Cavaliers came from one place first: defense.
“Oh, I think first it started with our defense,” Jenkins said after Detroit’s 107-97 win on Thursday night. “They were kind of comfortable. They had it going in that third quarter. We knew we had to come out and get some stops.”
The Pistons did exactly that, closing the game with the same poise that has carried them through this playoff run. Jenkins said the team’s best late-game weapon took over when the Cavaliers tried to push back.
“And then our closer was a closer,” he said.
Cade Cunningham finished with 25 points and 10 assists, and Jenkins said that level of trust changes everything when the game tightens. “We know his matchups there that he likes and that he can go take advantage of,” Jenkins said. “If we can do our job on the defensive end, when we get on offense, we know he’s going to get us a good look.”
That confidence has spread through a young Detroit roster that has now won five straight games since Orlando pushed it to the brink in the first round. Jenkins said the group has already learned what the postseason demands.
“Orlando did a really good job of preparing us for this moment,” he said. “They came out and they hit us in the mouth first and they showed us what the playoffs is about.”
Detroit answered Cleveland’s third-quarter push by settling back into its identity, something Jenkins described in simple terms.
“We’re back to playing Pistons basketball for 48 minutes like we’re supposed to,” he said.
Jenkins also credited Tobias Harris, who has become one of the stabilizing voices in the locker room and on the court. He called Harris “my guy” and said the veteran has been instrumental in keeping him composed through the highs and lows of his first playoff run.
“Just all the little things, just talking to me because it’s not easy playing behind the main guy when you’re in that position,” Jenkins said. “So just all the little things to keep my mental right. To stay with it and stay poised through all the ups and the downs.”
That poise has shown up in Jenkins’ recent scoring surge. He scored 14 points off the bench, his third straight game in double figures, and he said the adjustment has been less about what opponents do and more about how he processes the moment.
“I got to process stuff for myself,” Jenkins said. “You can’t simulate the playoffs. It’s my first time going through it. Early on I was just pressing a little too much. I just had to relax and just play.”
Asked whether Cleveland’s defense has forced him to make changes, Jenkins pushed back with confidence.
“To be honest with you? I don’t really think people can keep up with my pace,” he said. “My speed. I don’t see many people that can stay in front of me.”
Detroit’s 2-0 lead now sends the series to Cleveland, where Game 3 will carry even more weight. Jenkins said the Pistons are not treating the advantage as comfort, only fuel.
“We still got our backs against the wall,” he said. “The world still don’t believe. We still trying to prove something to ourselves.”
