Detroit Pistons vow to learn from Game 3 mistakes: 'Know it's a war'

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts to a play against Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of Game 3 of second round of NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

Cunningham was responsible for their most prominent mistakes at game's end. But it was an all-around uneven performance for a Pistons team that won the first two games, handily, to enter Saturday riding a five-game postseason winning streak.

The Pistons were outscored 32-18 by the Cavaliers in the second quarter, the result of allowing Cleveland to shoot 68.6% over the entire first half while shooting just 37.5% themselves (including going 2-for-14 on 3s). After knocking down their first two 3-point attempts, they missed 15 in a row before Tobias Harris finally connected at the 7:22 mark of the third.

There were too many missed open shots and not enough defensive resistance as the Pistons struggled with the whistle. They were called for 12 personal fouls in the second quarter, and Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson all had three fouls at halftime.

“Second quarter, obviously we gave them too many good opportunities at the 3,” said Harris, who scored 21 points in reaching the 20-point threshold for his eighth straight playoff game. “Just missed assignments from us all around, offensive boards. The possession game. In the second half, we did a great job of finding our rhythm, our flow and settling into the game, understanding the type of physicality that’s needed for this environment and this structure of a game. Like the way we responded.

“Tough end result for us but a lot of good things we can grow on for it and be ready for the next one. We know where we made our mistakes tonight. We know where we need to be better. We’ll watch the film on it and get ready for the next one.”

It was a bad first half for the frontcourt, collectively– Duren and Isaiah Stewart. They combined for just four rebounds over the opening 24 minutes and struggled to seal off the paint, as Cleveland shot 17-for-22 (77.3%) inside the arc. It led coach J.B. Bickerstaff to turn to Paul Reed in the third quarter, and Reed’s energy was a key part of the 28-9 run that got the Pistons back into the game.

Reed, who finished with 11 points and three rebounds on 4-for-4 shooting in just under 10 minutes, checked in for Duren with 5:07 to go in the third quarter. He immediately finished a slam out of the dunker’s spot courtesy of a nice entry pass from Duncan Robinson; Reed’s putback dunk at the 2:30 mark of the third gave the Pistons their first lead, 76-74, since the score was 30-27 late in the first quarter.

Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) dunks against Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of Game 3 of second round of NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

“I just thought at that moment, what we needed is what P Reed provides and he provides that spark, that instant impact to make plays, whether it’s defensively or offensively,” Bickerstaff said. “I think he impacts the game. When you’re down, he’s a guy that you can go to that can raise the energy and I thought he did a great job of that again tonight.”

He went on to play most of the fourth quarter and scored seven more points, bringing the Pistons within three, 99-96, midway through the final period with a pair of free throws. Duren checked back in with roughly 4:30 to go, but went scoreless, with one rebound and one shot attempt in the fourth.

Bickerstaff’s decision to play Reed in the second half of Game 6 against the Orlando Magic was fruitful, as the backup big man helped spark their historic comeback win from a 24-point deficit. It paid off again on Saturday, prompting a question on why he decided to insert Duren back in for Reed with the game on the line.

“You always have those thoughts about what you want to do,” Bickerstaff said. “I think JD’s done a great job for us all year long. P Reed obviously provides a spark for us. We went back with JD.”

Because the Pistons are also focusing on building for the future, Bickerstaff has leaned on Duren in late-game situations even in games in which he has struggled. Duren was better in Games 1 and 2 than in Game 3, in which he finished with nine points, four rebounds and two steals. They’re going to let him try to solve his issues.

The formula that worked as the Pistons built a 2-0 series lead – stout, physical defense, timely shot-making and controlling the boards – remains their best formula for success. The Cavaliers found life in front of their white-out home crowd. The Pistons know what they need to do to get back on track.

“We know it’s a war, not just one battle, so it’s about getting four wins,” Cunningham said. “Just continuing to play our brand of basketball and see if they’re able to withstand that. Beyond that, us trying to break through and go and take wins is the name of the game. This series is what it is. We’re ready for the next game and ready to get back to it.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II atosankofa@freepress.com. Follow him onXand/orBluesky

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons Game 3 mistakes vs Cavaliers have them seeing red