The Cleveland Cavaliers have played awfully through the first two games of the series. The guards haven’t lived up to their standards, the defensive communication hasn’t been good, and the team is simply missing wide-open shots. That isn’t going to get the job done on the road against a 60-win Detroit Pistons team.
Yet, despite how bad things have looked, the Cavs had chances to steal both Game 1 and 2. The Cavs were either tied or had a brief lead in the fourth quarter in each outing, but poor late-game execution cost them. We’ll see if that changes as the series shifts back to Cleveland.
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Technically, this isn’t a must-win game. The season isn’t over if the Cavs drop this game. However, no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. We’ll see if the Cavs have what it takes to get off the mat and keep their season alive.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2) vs. Detroit Pistons (2-0)
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Sat., May 9 at 3 PM
TV: NBC, Peacock
Point spread: Cavs -4.5
Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill, – QUESTIONABLE (hamstring)
Pistons injury report: Kevin Huerter – DOUBTFUL (abductor strain)
Cavs expected starting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Pistons expected starting lineup: Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Previous matchup: The Cavs fell apart down the stretch of Game 2 in a way that felt all too familiar.
Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
|
Offensive Rating |
Defensive Rating |
Net Rating |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cavs |
118.9 (8th) |
115 (15th) |
+3.9 (9th) |
|
Pistons |
118.3 (10th) |
109.5 (2nd) |
+8.8 (3rd) |