Pistons go cold down the stretch, stumble to 128-121 loss to Cavs

For 45 minutes, it appeared as if the Detroit Pistons had a chance to upset another one of the best teams in the NBA.

However, the Pistons went cold during the final three minutes and couldn't execute down the stretch against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They struggled to generate any offense for the final three minutes of the game and suffered a 128-121 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers entered the game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA as winners of 10 of their last 11 games. Donovan Mitchell was the heartbeat of the team as he exploded for 45 points, including 20 points in the fourth quarter.

"We just didn't execute the coverage on Donovan," Pistons coach Monty Williams said. "We're trying to get to blitz the pick-and-roll, because he was just coming off one or two dribbles and just raising up. That's on me to make sure that we know what we're supposed to be in (defensively). We had three opportunites to go get him and he was jsut setting us up to go left to get his shot off and he was getting to the free throw line."

The score was knotted at 118 with 2:44 left when former Michigan guard Caris LeVert drove into the body of Jaden Ivey to draw a foul. Ivey was elbowed in the face in the process, which immediately drew blood. However, the call was deemed a shooting foul.

The Pistons couldn't convert on their next three possessions, which included a brutal shot clock violation with 58 seconds left. Cade Cunningham drilled a corner 3 with 24.9 seconds left to bring the Pistons within five points, but Mitchell iced the game with two more free throws to tie his season-high in points.

With the loss, the Pistons (6-41) dropped their eighth straight game to the Cavs (29-16) — a losing streak that dates back to 2022. They struggled to take care of the ball with 19 turnovers and the Cavs scored 29 points from those giveaways.

"Typically after a loss it's relly emotional so I don't like to say a lot, but I told them, 'This is the formula for us to have a chance to win games. We have to be better,'" Williams said. "Some of the turnovers, especially early in the game, they were just unforced turnovers. Throwing the ball without looking to see the defender, sometimes we just threw it straight to a Cleveland defender. Twenty-nine points off of turnovers, that's a lot of points and (if) you cut that in half, you win the game."

Pistons forward Danillo Gallinari was trapped on the baseline early in the third quarter by Darius Garland and Mitchell and turned around, took one dribble and rose for a fadeway 3-pointer. It was right in front of the Pistons bench and Mitchell turned around in disbelief once the ball went through the basket.

It was one of four 3-pointers for Gallinari, whose number was called to step up in the absence of the injured Isaiah Stewart and Mike Muscala. He scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Pistons.

More:BOX SCORE: Cavaliers 128, Pistons 121

Cunningham, who missed Sunday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder due to left knee injury management, returned to the lineup and had 19 points, seven assists and two steals and most importantly, zero turnovers. Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points on 4-of-8 from 3. The Pistons' bench was efficient with 58 points on Wednesday. Kevin Knox added 12 points and five rebounds.

"Just did a rough job closing the game out," Cunningham said. "Our second group, they did everything we needed them to do. They put is in a position to win. We just didn't close it out."

Isaiah Stewart did not play due to a left ankle sprain, so Williams inserted Muscala into the starting lineup. It was a move to combat the interior size of Cavaliers big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Muscala's night was cut short when he collided head-first with Mobley in the first quarter. He went to the locker room in the second quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a head injury.

The Cavaliers' starting lineup returned to full strength on Wednesday with the return of Darius Garland, who finished with 19 points. Allen added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-10 from the field.

Wednesday's matchup was the third of four meetings this season between the Pistons and Cavaliers. They will meet once more in Detroit on March 1.

The Pistons will return to Detroit to host the LA Clippers on Friday.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2