CLEVELAND -- Just when it seemed they were on the verge of mounting another double-digit comeback, the Detroit Pistons were derailed by turnovers down the stretch in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cade Cunningham had three of them in the fourth quarter of the Pistons' 116-109 loss Saturday, each proving to be more of a gut punch than the last. First, it was an inbounds pass that almost looked as if it had a magnetic pull right into the hands of Cleveland's Max Strus, who sprinted downcourt for an easy transition layup that gave the Cavaliers a 2-point lead with 2:30 remaining.
On the next possession, Cunningham picked up his dribble earlier than necessary and tried forcing a pass to a diving Jalen Duren. Cavs center Jarrett Allen jumped, using every inch of his 7-foot-6 wingspan, to make a one-handed interception that sent Cleveland back down the floor on another fast break. Duren recovered and forced a missed Donovan Mitchell layup, minimizing the damage.
Then, after drawing three defenders into the paint on the ensuing possession, Cunningham couldn't connect on a kickout to Tobias Harris that sailed out of bounds. It was his eighth turnover of the evening and that stretch ultimately doomed Detroit and gave Cleveland enough cushion to eke out the win.
Cunningham has proved he's capable of meeting the moment and getting a bucket with ease throughout this postseason run. But his potentially fatal flaw of committing untimely turnovers reared its ugly head once again Saturday. His 30.2 points per game lead the playoffs, but so do his 58 turnovers. Putting a cap on those giveaways could be a deciding factor in the Pistons' ability to maximize their potential.
"Just careless turnovers. I wouldn't even say careless," Cunningham said while reflecting on the sequence. "I care about it a lot. Just bad plays that could've got shots on the rim and could've gave us an opportunity to win this game."
Cunningham still managed a 27-point triple-double and was a plus-six Saturday, but turnovers on three consecutive possessions won't cut it during the playoffs. Cunningham contributed to half of the Pistons' 16 turnovers that led to 27 Cavs points, the most they've surrendered during these playoffs. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff took a holistic approach when discussing the turnover problem.
"That's too many turnovers for us as a group. Sixteen is too many," Bickerstaff said at the postgame podium. "Give up 27 points off those turnovers. Our defense is so stingy if we get you in the half court. So we've just got to make sure we get shots on goal so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it."
Detroit won the possession game, as evidenced by its 91 shots to Cleveland's 74. The Pistons outrebounded the Cavaliers 40-33 and had a 17-5 advantage on the offensive glass. They even had 19 second-chance points to Cleveland's 11. Turnovers were the deciding factor. That said, there's still a sense of optimism in the locker room.
"Nothing shakes our confidence," said Ausar Thompson, who was a game-high plus-12. "We have confidence no matter what the turnout of this game was."
Foul trouble limited Thompson to 29 minutes. He was impactful, per usual, in his time on the floor, though, tallying nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
Thompson was the intended target of possibly Cunningham’s most egregious turnover of the evening. The game was even at 76 with 1:53 to go in the third when Cunningham threw another errant inbounds pass that careened off the top of the station just behind the backboard. Thompson grabbed the ball and bounced it to Cunningham after the whistle, seemingly instructing Cunningham on how he should’ve passed it.
“We’ve just got to be better outlets for Cade, (Daniss Jenkins) and the ballhandlers and not let them get pressured as much,” Thompson said.
The Pistons have shown they're capable of stifling the Cavaliers; it's why they lead the series 2-1. The issue Saturday was that Detroit was only able to do it in spurts before self-inflicted wounds caused it to self-destruct.
A portion of Cunningham's turnovers this postseason can be boiled down to defensive schemes, but far too many of them could have been avoided. He's on the brink of superstardom, with his 33.2 percent usage rate in the postseason second only to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. But Cunningham has played in four more games than Embiid. There's no question Cunningham is tasked with arguably more than any of his peers at this point in the season. His turnovers, though, have been a thorn in the Pistons' side, and he's responsible for getting them under control.
The emphasis in Game 4 for Detroit will be limiting unnecessary turnovers and continuing to impose its will on a Cleveland team on which it believes it has the edge, with Cunningham leading the charge.
“We know it’s a war, not just one battle,” Cunningham said. “It’s about getting four wins. So, just continuing to play our brand of basketball and seeing if they’re able to withstand that. But beyond that, us trying to break through and go and take wins is the name of the game. The series is what it is. We’re ready for the next game, ready to get back to it.”