Pistons Host Cavaliers in Game 5 as 2-0 Lead Vanishes Into 2-2 Deadlock

11 articles · Updated · Detroit Bad Boys · May 13

8 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit gets a pivotal home Game 5 after Cleveland erased the Pistons’ 2-0 series lead with back-to-back wins.
A 22-0 Cavaliers run in Game 4 exposed Detroit’s biggest problem: an offense that stalled badly, with Cade Cunningham looking hesitant and disconnected from teammates.
Detroit is favored by 3.5 points, but the formula is simple — cleaner ballhandling from Cunningham, steadier minutes from Ausar Thompson, and more impact from its big men, especially on defense and the glass.
Free throws could swing the game after Cleveland attempted 35 more than Detroit over the last three games, a notable gap in a series where no win has come by more than 10 points.
The stakes are immediate: a Pistons win would keep Cleveland winless on the road and put Detroit in control, while a loss would send the series back to Cleveland for a possible closeout.

After an All-Star season, is Jalen Duren's playoff collapse about to end the top-seeded Pistons' unexpected run?

With the NBA's highest payroll and a winless road record, is Cleveland's entire future riding on this one game?

Why do insiders believe the struggling Cavaliers are an easier matchup for the Knicks than the top-seeded Pistons?