Photo: Rick Osentoski ~ Imagn Images
CLEVELAND ~ The Detroit Pistons walked into Rocket Arena with their season on the line Friday night and responded like a team that wasn’t ready for the moment to end. Detroit controlled the tone early and never let Cleveland settle, pulling away for a convincing 115-94 win in Game 6 to even the series and force a decisive Game 7. What began as a tense elimination game quickly turned into a showcase of the Pistons’ resilience, flipping the pressure back onto the Cavaliers after Cleveland had won three straight to seize control of the series.
Guard Cade Cunningham didn’t need a monster scoring night to take over. He finished with 21 points and eight assists, calmly steering the offense and picking his spots when Detroit needed it most. Around him, the Pistons found the balanced production that had been missing: center Jalen Duren added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while guard Daniss Jenkins contributed 15. Detroit’s defensive edge stood out, holding Cleveland under 40% shooting for stretches and converting stops into a steady offensive rhythm.
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(CONTINUED) The difference, though, came from Detroit’s bench. The reserves delivered 48 points, led by center Paul Reed’s 17 on 7-for-9 shooting, along with guard Duncan Robinson’s 14 and guard Marcus Sasser’s nine. Each time Cleveland threatened to build momentum, the Pistons answered with a timely bucket, hustle play or second-chance opportunity. In contrast, the Cavaliers’ bench managed just 18 points, putting added strain on a starting group that never found its footing.
For Cleveland, it was a missed opportunity to close out the series at home. Guard James Harden led with 23 points, while guard Donovan Mitchell added 18, but neither could spark a sustained run against Detroit’s defense. The Cavs’ offense stalled repeatedly, and their body language reflected it as the deficit grew. By the final minutes, the arena had quieted, and what once looked like a comeback series was suddenly heading to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday, with the pressure squarely back on Cleveland.
