The Detroit Pistons will tip off the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs as they host Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. This will be the fourth playoff series between the two teams. The Cavaliers have won three of them, including a 4-0 sweep in the 2016 first round on their way to the franchise’s first championship, led by LeBron James.
The teams met four times in the regular season and split those games, with Cleveland winning the most recent matchup 113-109 on March 3.
The Pistons exorcised past playoff demons by showing a killer instinct against the Orlando Magic. After falling into a 3-1 hole in the first round, they stormed back to win three straight games and eliminate Orlando. This marks their first second-round appearance since 2008, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing in six games to the Boston Celtics.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren had strong regular seasons and remain key reasons for Detroit’s success. Cunningham averaged 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds in the first round, while Duren, after struggling earlier in the series, delivered a crucial double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds in the Game 7 win.
Another interesting storyline is Pistons coach J. B. Bickerstaff facing his former team. Bickerstaff served as head coach of the Cavaliers for five seasons before his dismissal after guiding them back to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2018. He’ll be looking to change that this year, but now from the opposing sideline.
Similarly, the Cavaliers also took their first-round series to seven games before prevailing. Their matchup against the Toronto Raptors proved tougher than expected, largely due to inconsistent offense and turnovers. Still, Cleveland delivered when it mattered most, closing out the series with a 114-102 home win in Game 7.
The Cavaliers were led by star duo Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who averaged 23.1 and 20.6 points per game, respectively. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen also made key contributions.
They’ll need even more firepower against a Detroit Pistons team that dominated the regular-season series with a record 60-win and enter the second round as one of the best teams in the league. But in the playoffs, anything can happen.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Injury Reports
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report
The Cavaliers haven’t listed anyone on their injury report for Game 1. They remain in clean bill of health with a full roster available for rotations.
Detroit Pistons Injury Report
The Pistons, on the other hand, have listed Kevin Huerter as questionable with an abductor strain. Huerter missed the last three games of the Pistons’ first-round series.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers Starting Lineup
PG: James Harden, SG: Donovan Mitchell, SF: Max Strus, PF: Evan Mobley, C: Jarrett Allen
Detroit Pistons Starting Lineups
PG: Cade Cunningham | SG: Duncan Robinson | SF: Ausar Thompson | PF: Tobias Harris | C: Jalen Duren
How to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Game 1?
The Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons second-round series is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena. The matchup will be televised nationally on NBC, with streaming available on Peacock.
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