The Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead. Tobias Harris scored 21 points, while Cade Cunningham's late performance secured the win.
Key points
Pistons lead series 2-0
Final score: 107-97
Tobias Harris scored 21 points
Cade Cunningham had a strong finish
Pistons' fifth straight playoff win
Detroit PistonsCleveland CavaliersTobias HarrisCade Cunningham
They defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 at Little Caesars Arena, 107-97, on Thursday, May 7. Itās their fifth straight win of the 2026 NBA playoffs, and fourth at home.
Tobias Harris (21 points, 9-for-16 shooting) scored at least 20 points for the seventh consecutive game for the Pistons. The 33-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Cavaliers erased a 14-point Pistons lead in the second half and briefly took the lead early in the fourth period, 81-79. An assertive finish for Cunningham, who had just six points in the first half, helped them retake the lead for good.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up with assistant coach Jarrett Jack ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Pistons vs Cavaliers Game 2?
The final score was 107-97 in favor of the Detroit Pistons.
Who led the Pistons in scoring during Game 2 against the Cavaliers?
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 21 points.
How many consecutive games has Tobias Harris scored at least 20 points?
Tobias Harris has scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive games.
What is the significance of the Pistons' win in Game 2 of the playoffs?
The win gives the Pistons a 2-0 lead in the second round of the playoffs and marks their fifth straight victory.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) walks off the court after warmup ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons fans cheer on during warm up ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs between Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
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A close-up view of Pistons vs Cavs in Game 2 of second round in NBA playoffs
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up with assistant coach Jarrett Jack ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
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A close-up view of Pistons vs Cavs in Game 2 of second round in NBA playoffs
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up with assistant coach Jarrett Jack ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
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A close-up view of Pistons vs Cavs in Game 2 of second round in NBA playoffs
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
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A close-up view of Pistons vs Cavs in Game 2 of second round in NBA playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) walks off the court after warmup ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
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A close-up view of Pistons vs Cavs in Game 2 of second round in NBA playoffs
Detroit Pistons fans cheer on during warm up ahead of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs between Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Cunningham scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth to go with 10 assists. His dagger stepback 3-pointer off a slick right-to-left crossover against Max Strus at the 2:12 mark gave the Pistons a 101-92 advantage and officially put the game out of reach.
He received āMVPā chants from the raucous home crowd as he hit two free throws with 22.7 seconds on the clock.
Ausar Thompson sealed the game by helping to pick James Harden on a drive with 33 seconds left and the Pistons up 103-97.
Cleveland went 0-for-11 on 3s in the fourth, and finished 7-for-32 (21.9%).
Harris (21 points, six rebounds), Duncan Robinson (17 points), Daniss Jenkins (14 points, six rebounds, four assists) and Thompson (10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals) also reached double figures.
Jenkins (14 points) continued his torrid play, hitting the Pistons' third buzzer-beater 3-pointer at the end of a quarter in this series, draining a 3 from the left wing to give the Pistons a 79-75 edge entering the fourth.
Midway through the fourth, Thompson couldnāt grab hold of a defensive rebound and accidentally tipped the ball in, cutting the Pistonsā lead to 89-87. Cunningham scored their next seven points ā a 3-pointer and midrange jumper over Harden, followed by a pair of free throws to give them a 96-91 lead with 3:53 to go.
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris celebrates a 3-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris celebrates a 3-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
It was another strong defensive start for the Pistons, who led the Cavaliers by 18 in the first quarter in Game 1. They built a 25-14 lead late in the first quarter while holding the Cavaliers to 6-for-17 shooting out of the gate. Cleveland committed six turnovers and struggled to find daylight against the Pistonsā crew of perimeter defenders.
They led by as many as 14 (52-38) in the first half, despite a quiet start for Cunningham. The Pistons shot 53.7% and knocked down seven of 15 3-point attempts, while holding the Cavaliers to 39.5% overall.
A 3-pointer from Duncan Robinson with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter capped a 16-7 run that gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the night, 52-36. Momentum shifted in the third quarter, though, after Ausar Thompson exited at the 10:33 mark with his fourth foul.
Cleveland outscored the Pistons 32-22 in the third before a late 3-pointer from Jenkins and whittled an 11-point Pistons lead at halftime to one, 76-75, with 17.5 seconds left in the third. With Thompson on the bench, the Cavaliers came alive offensively and hit 11 of their 20 attempts (55%) in the period, led by Mitchellās 11 points.
A 6-0 Cavaliers run to open the fourth quarter followed, and the Pistons trailed for the first time since the 10:18 mark of the first with an 81-79 deficit. A 10-2 Pistons run followed, and a corner 3-pointer from Robinson gave the Pistons a six-point lead, 89-83.
Up six with under a minute left, Thompson stole the ball from Harden and Jalen Duren (eight points, 10 rebounds) hit two free throws on the other end, extending the lead to 105-97 with 26.8 seconds left.
Tobias Harris shakes off hip injury, scores 20+ again
For a brief moment midway through the opening period, it appeared the Pistons had lost their second-leading playoff scorer to injury.
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) is on the court due to an injury during the first half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs against Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) is on the court due to an injury during the first half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs against Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Harris fell and held his left hip after backpedaling on defense to stick with Mitchell. It took a few moments for him to gather himself, and he briefly left the floor with 6:54 on the clock.
It was a false alarm ā Harris immediately checked back in and went on to play 37 minutes, stepping up once again to help them fight off the Cavaliers down the stretch. He scored six in the fourth, including a midrange jumper with 3:13 to play for a 98-91 lead.
Harris has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games, giving the Pistons a needed offensive punch and secondary option alongside Cunningham. Heās averaging 21.3 points per game in the playoffs.
Trust in Daniss Jenkins continues paying off
The former two-way guard couldnāt buy a bucket at the start of the postseason. He shot 26.3% through Games 1-6 against the Orlando Magic, but he didnāt lose his spot in the rotation. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff knew the Pistons would need his clutch shotmaking and ballhandling.
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) celebrates a three point basket against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) celebrates a three point basket against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Jenkins figured it out in Game 7, and has been one of their top players since. Thursday was his third game in a row reaching double figures in scoring, and he reached the milestone in the first half with 11 points, along with four assists and four rebounds, to lead the Pistons.
He was aggressive, pacing the team with 10 shot attempts, and frequently pushed the pace to get their transition game going. And he closed the third quarter with a bang after the Cavaliers cut it to one, knocking down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a two-possession game again, 79-75 following a Cleveland run.
Ron Holland steps up for James Harden assignment
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) steals the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the first half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) steals the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the first half of Game 2 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Foul trouble limited Thompson to just 11 minutes in the first half. He picked up two in the first quarter, and then sat for the rest of the second quarter after the 7:46 mark after he was whistled for a push on Harden, which the superstar guard sold to the officials.
Harden already was having a rough half. It didnāt get better after Holland replaced Thompson. The following possession, Holland picked up Harden full-court and eventually cut off a drive to the rim, getting a hand on his layup attempt and forcing a turnover.
Later in the quarter, Harden declined to attack Cunningham in transition with a head of steam, instead resetting the possession and taking the ball back to the wing. Holland picked him up and poked the ball away for a steal when Harden tried posting him up.
Harden struggled in the first half along with the rest of the Cavaliers with just eight points, three turnovers and an assist on 2-for-10 shooting.
After playing just one minute in the final five games of the first round against the Magic, Holland has played a pivotal role as a Harden stopper through the first two games of Round 2.