Cade Cunningham scores 27, Daniss Jenkins 25 as East-leading Pistons hold off Cavaliers 114-110
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 27 points, Daniss Jenkins added 25 — 21 in the second quarter alone — and the Detroit Pistons held on down the stretch for a rare road win at Cleveland, beating the Cavaliers 114-110 on Sunday.
Despite playing without two starters, the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons snapped a nine-game losing streak at Rocket Arena and beat the Cavaliers for just the second time in 15 games.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 — 23 after halftime — to pace Cleveland, which trailed by 13 with less than five minutes to go before cutting Detroit’s lead to 108-106 on Darius Garland’s basket with 1:16 left.
However, Pistons forward Ausar Thompson scored on a tip-in with 17.2 seconds remaining, and Jenkins made four free throws in the final 5.7 seconds to put the Cavs away.
Cunningham went 11 for 11 from the line and the Pistons made all 21 free-throw attempts.
Cleveland’s Darius Garland scored 16 but went 0 for 7 on 3-pointers. Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill added 15 points apiece for the Cavs, who saw their winning streak stopped at three.
With his 21-point outburst on 7-for-7 shooting in the second, Jenkins set the franchise scoring record for a Pistons reserve in one quarter. He broke the previous mark of 20 points shared by Ron Holland (2024) and Jodie Meeks (2014).
The Pistons were without starters Tobias Harris (hip) and Jalen Duren (ankle) and reserve Caris LeVert (knee) because of injuries. Harris, whom coach J.B. Bickerstaff calls his “safety blanket,” could miss several weeks.
Jenkins gave the Pistons some instant offense and a needed lift in the second by making six 3-pointers — and converting a three-point play — as Detroit scored a season-high 47 points in the period to open a 66-56 halftime lead.
Up next
Pistons: Host New York on Monday.
Cavaliers: At Indiana on Tuesday.
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