What went wrong for Pistons in Game 7? Defensive lapses, Tobias Harris’ struggles doom Detroit in loss to Cavs
The Detroit Pistons faced a massive Game 7 last round against the Orlando Magic, but saved their season with one of the most one-sided halves in NBA playoff history. They couldn’t repeat that scenario on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers took full control before halftime and held on the rest of the way, quieting the Detroit crowd with the help of an impressive offensive showing once they found their footing late in the first quarter.
The Pistons can call their season a success after 60 wins and the franchise’s first playoff series win in 18 years, but they certainly didn’t expect the Cavaliers to come into their arena and run the show in a win-or-go-home game.
Here’s a look at what went wrong for the Pistons in their 125-94 Game 7 loss on Sunday.
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What went wrong for Pistons in Game 7?
Defensive lapses
The Cavaliers missed some early looks, starting 0-for-6 from 3-point range, but they made eight of their next 13 as the Pistons struggled to take them out of a rhythm before halftime. Sam Merrill gave Detroit fits, drilling four 3s in the first half, and the Pistons couldn’t contain Donovan Mitchell once he started to feel it late in the first quarter.
Any team can run into some shooting luck, but what was jarring for the Pistons was the way the Cavaliers imposed their physicality. Detroit’s best path to winning was through its physicality for much of the season, but Jarrett Allen scored 23 points in 24 minutes, while Evan Mobley put up 21. The two combined for 19 rebounds.
The Pistons don’t have the shooting to overcome an opponent that beats them physically, and that reared its head Sunday night.
Tobias Harris disappears
Not everyone is going to play well every night, but Tobias Harris’ Game 7 performance was borderline unacceptable for a 15-year veteran.
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Harris didn’t record a single made field goal in 22 minutes, putting up five points and five rebounds. He shot a dismal 14-of-49 (28.6 percent) over the final four games of the series, racking up more fouls (12) than made field goals (8) in the last three.
For all of his faults, Harris was a strong fit with the Pistons in the regular season and helped glue the group together. Late in this series, he came unglued.
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Inconsistent shooting
The Pistons were never going to shoot their way to series wins in these playoffs, but their shooters couldn’t pick up the slack with Jalen Duren and other key frontcourt pieces struggling so much. Detroit started 2-of-3 from 3-point range but made just six of its next 20 attempts, with Cade Cunningham shooting 0-for-7 from deep.
Duncan Robinson was brought in to make 3-pointers and did so at a high clip this season, but the Pistons will need to find more players who can shoot without being so one-dimensional as they try to build on the progress they made this year.
Who’s the second option?
Jalen Duren struggled mightily in the playoffs, Ausar Thompson’s offense still lags behind his defense, and Tobias Harris proved he wasn’t capable of being an ideal No. 2 scoring option. As the Pistons continue to build around Cade Cunningham, their inability to find a true No. 2 option haunted them in the playoffs and fully came to a head in Game 7.
Detroit didn’t have anything close to a go-to scorer with Cunningham struggling to play his best on Sunday. Robinson was the Pistons’ most efficient scorer, but his limitations in other areas hurt, particularly when the defense was already struggling. As the Pistons move forward, figuring out who, if anyone, can be an effective No. 2 option next to Cunningham will be critical, even if it just means figuring out how to fix Duren’s offensive game after a dismal stretch.
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