The Detroit Pistons completely choked away what should have been a game five victory and have no one to blame but themselves. The referees also played a huge role in the outcome. Both things can be true at the same time.
I stupidly posted on X (which is a toxic cesspit right now) after the game that the Pistons blew it, but the free-throw disparity was tough to overcome, and was immediately bombarded with comments full of sophomoric slurs (fun times!) explaining to me that the refs weren’t the reason the Pistons lost the game. I never said they were. Remember those in the back, two things can be true at the same time.
That was the case in game five, which was a tale of competing statements.
The refs didn’t lose the Pistons the game, but they affected the outcome
The huge no-call in regulation will get all of the attention, especially after what happened last season, but the real concern is that the Cavaliers shot 100 free throws in the last three games and the Pistons just 54.
The refs were all over the place last night, allowing “playoff” contact on one end and calling tough fouls on contested jump shots on the other.
James Harden can no longer beat anyone off the dribble, so to his credit, found another go-to move, which is to push off, get the defender off balance and then try and draw a foul, which he did successfully all night, leading to 14 free-throw attempts. The Pistons took 20 as a team.
Harden was fouled multiple times on 3-point attempts using this move. Push off, defender has to recover, lean in, kick out the feet, flop straight to the line, rinse and repeat.
I give Harden credit for figuring out ways to score. He’s a crafty veteran who had a huge game when they needed him with Mitchell struggling. But he plays an awful style of basketball that shouldn’t constantly be rewarded with free throws Again, two things can be true.
Cade Cunningham was amazing, but he choked
Cunningham was the only reason the Pistons were even in the game, and he was spectacular for much of it.
He played 48 minutes and had 39 points, completely carrying the offense at times and saving the Pistons again and again. If these playoffs have proven anything, it’s that Cunningham is a legit superstar.
But he also had six turnovers, including another soul-crusher late in the game that was complete carelessness. He couldn’t hit a shot down the stretch, though it’s hard to blame him considering the Pistons stopped running offensive sets and just expected him to do everything.
Cunningham arrived on the big stage, but he has also faltered at times, mostly due to being overburdened by the Pistons’ lack of options.
Jalen Duren has been awful, but still has a future
There is no sugarcoating how bad Jalen Duren has been in this series and outside of one game, the playoffs as a whole. He’s clearly lost the confidence he had in the regular season, and his disappearing act, especially on the boards, has been a huge part of the Pistons’ struggles.
But let’s not get crazy here.
I am seeing some WILD takes about Duren right now that completely ignore two things: He is 22 years old. He is playing against two of the best rim protectors in the NBA.
Give Mobley and Allen (and the Magic bigs before them) credit for stuffing everything at the rim. Duren hasn’t been able to bully his way to dunks like he did all season, and they have pushed out on him defensively in ways he wasn’t ready to handle. He’s not a second offensive option and never should have been, and this series has exposed that.
But he’s 22, had an amazing season, and is a huge part of what the Pistons are building. Duren is taking his lumps, but to give up on him right now would be a huge mistake. He may have cost himself some money, but my guess is that he’ll still be back with Detroit, will continue to improve and this won’t be the end of his story.
The Pistons look dead, but they’ve had their backs against the wall before and responded. They just have to do it again.
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