Detroit Pistons take 2-0 series lead over Cleveland Cavaliers after second win

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a] scored 25 points and handed out 10 assists and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harris-tobias/A7GXRiFJ/"]Tobias Harris[/a] added 21 points for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Pistons[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/cleveland-cavaliers-xGk13Tb6/detroit-pistons-UcjMRj6J/?mid=ppLNQmsS"]who set the defensive tone early[/a] but had to rally late after the Cavs battled back to take a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter.[/p][p]"[b]We just stayed poised,[/b]" Cunningham told broadcaster Prime. "[b]Stuck to our principles, stuck to our system and just turned up the energy a little bit[/b]."[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-donovan/hhFqipLe/"]Donovan Mitchell[/a] scored a game-high 31 points. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/allen-jarrett/YFCdDdo1/"]Jarrett Allen[/a] chipped in 22, but the Cavaliers have a mountain to climb as they head home for game three in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series on Saturday.[/p][p]Cunningham, who scored 12 points in the final period, said the Pistons will have to "turn up our energy even more" in Cleveland.[/p][p]"[b]They're a tough team to beat at home, so we're going to have to come in with a high level of focus and competitive spirit and we'll get the job done,[/b]" he said.[/p][embed guid="32cf5239-8ad6-4718-ac6f-6af5b6bf1b85" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2052565710639907238?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Pistons, who locked up the top seed in the East with the third best record in the league, had to fight back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] in the first round.[/p][p]This series they were determined to hold on to home-court advantage and game two featured another lock-down defensive display from Detroit on the way to a 54-43 halftime lead.[/p][p]The Cavaliers responded in the third quarter. Mitchell scored 11 points and Cleveland cut out the turnovers as they out-scored the Pistons 32-25.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harden-james/zm5V3CZo/"]James Harden[/a]'s pull-up basket with 17.5 seconds left in the third cut the deficit to one before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jenkins-dannis/xzVAqNCs/"]Daniss Jenkins[/a] drilled a three-pointer to send the Pistons into the final period with a 79-75 lead.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mobley-evan/SrZZLQHj/"]Evan Mobley[/a]'s dunk minutes into the fourth put the Cavs up 81-79, their first lead since the opening minute.[/p][p]But they couldn't hang on. A [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-duncan/vBYcPFk5/"]Duncan Robinson[/a] three-pointer put Detroit back in front and they wouldn't trail again, Cunningham draining a three-pointer to push the lead to nine with just over two minutes left.[/p]