Detroit Pistons’ rally falls short in Game 3 loss to Cavaliers

Cleveland — A 20-second sequence late in the second quarter best illustrated how the Detroit Pistons stayed two steps behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for much of Saturday.

At the 3:00 mark of the second quarter, Donovan Mitchell hit a crossover, stepback 3-pointer over Duncan Robinson. On the Pistons’ next offensive possession, Max Strus forced Cade Cunningham into a careless turnover, which the Cavaliers instantly converted into Jarrett Allen’s one-handed dunk over Jalen Duren.

After three straight dreadful plays, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout as fans at Rocket Arena gave their team a standing ovation. The Pistons walked back to the bench in disarray and never seemed to break free from the subpar play that left them trailing 64-48 at halftime.

However, if there is one thing the Pistons have consistently shown, it is that they are a team that cannot be underestimated. Detroit mounted a rally in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 33-19 in the third quarter. However, it wasn't enough to prevent a 116-109 Game 3 loss. The Pistons lead the Cavaliers 2-1 in the series.

Cunningham posted 27 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Tobias Harris finished with 21 points. Jalen Duren's subpar performance left him with 11 points. Mitchell led with 35 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Allen added 18 points, 13 of which came in the first half.