The Detroit Pistons waited all series for a signature moment, but instead delivered their worst performance of the postseason when it mattered most against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 7, ending 125-94, quickly turned into a nightmare as Detroit’s offense completely collapsed, their stars disappeared, and the young roster looked exhausted against the elite opposition.
Outside of a few scattered stretches, nothing worked consistently for the Pistons. They couldn’t make anything, couldn’t get stops, and had no energy left. After pushing the series to seven games, Detroit simply ran out of answers when faced with Cleveland’s experience and execution. Here are the Pistons’ terrible player ratings.
Duncan Robinson: B-
Stats: 13 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 3 TOV, 4-7 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-3 FT, 22 MIN
Duncan Robinson was one of the few Pistons capable of generating any offensive momentum. His shooting briefly gave Detroit life during a couple second-quarter stretches, though the turnovers and defensive limitations quickly erased much of that impact. Still, compared to the rest of Detroit’s offense, this was one of the more respectable performances.
Daniss Jenkins: B-
Stats: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 1 TOV, 4-12 FG, 2-7 3PT, 7-8 FT, 34 MIN
Ironically, one of Detroit’s better offensive performances came from Jenkins. He attacked aggressively, got to the line consistently, and at least tried to create offense when the starters completely stalled out. The efficiency still wasn’t great, but he played with far more confidence and urgency than several of Detroit’s veteran pieces.
Caris LeVert: C+
Stats: 11 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 TOV, 1 STL, 3-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT, 17 MIN
LeVert provided some instant offense off the bench, but it mostly came after Cleveland had already seized complete control of the game. He had a couple nice scoring bursts, though Detroit desperately needed that aggression earlier before the deficit spiraled out of control.
Paul Reed: C+
Stats: 4 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 2-5 FG, 8 MIN
Reed brought energy and physicality off the bench, battling hard on the glass and giving Detroit some needed toughness inside. He played harder than several starters despite limited minutes.
Cade Cunningham: D+
Stats: 13 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 3 TOV, 5-16 FG, 0-7 3PT, 3-3 FT, 37 MIN
Cade Cunningham had a nightmare shooting performance at the worst possible time. Cleveland loaded up defensively against him and he never adjusted, forcing contested jumpers and struggling badly from deep. To his credit, he continued competing as a playmaker and defender, but Detroit needed their franchise star to rise to the moment offensively and instead got one of his roughest playoff games yet. This felt like a young star learning how unforgiving Game 7 basketball can be.
Jalen Duren: D+
Stats: 7 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 3 TOV, 2 BLK, 3-7 FG, 1-2 FT, 26 MIN
Jalen Duren competed physically and had a few solid defensive sequences early, but Cleveland’s frontcourt completely overwhelmed him as the game progressed. He struggled to protect the paint consistently and never imposed himself offensively. The energy was there, but the impact simply wasn’t enough against Mobley and Allen.
Marcus Sasser: D+
Stats: 9 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 3-12 FG, 3-9 3PT, 23 MIN
Sasser kept firing, but very little actually fell. He forced multiple difficult shots trying to create offense single-handedly, and the inefficiency became impossible to ignore. Detroit needed microwave scoring from him off the bench and instead got empty possessions during key stretches.
Tobias Harris: D
Stats: 5 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 0-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 5-6 FT, 23 MIN
Detroit needed veteran leadership from Tobias Harris in the biggest game of the season, and instead got almost nothing offensively. He looked passive from the opening tip and never found any rhythm as a scorer. The fact he failed to make a single field goal perfectly summed up the Pistons’ offensive disaster. His defensive effort was respectable, but this was a brutal no-show in a Game 7.
Ausar Thompson: D
Stats: 5 PTS, 7 REB, 1 TOV, 2 BLK, 2-7 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-2 FT, 29 MIN
Ausar Thompson brought defensive activity and effort as always, but offensively he looked completely lost. Cleveland ignored him repeatedly on the perimeter and clogged the floor, making life even harder for Detroit’s guards. His athleticism still flashed defensively, though the lack of offensive confidence became a major problem in this matchup.
Chaz Lanier: N/A
Stats: 1 AST, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5 MIN
Lanier never found rhythm offensively during his short stint and struggled to make much impact on either end.
Tolu Smith: N/A
Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 2-2 FG, 5 MIN
Smith made the most of his short appearance, finishing efficiently and playing with activity defensively. One of the few Pistons who actually looked comfortable offensively.
Isaiah Stewart: N/A
Stats: 3 PTS, 1-1 FG, 1-1 FT, 6 MIN
Stewart barely played long enough to impact the game meaningfully, though his usual physicality was noticeable immediately. Detroit probably could have used more of his energy considering how flat the team looked overall.
Ronald Holland II: N/A
Stats: 3 PTS, 2 REB, 1-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, 6 MIN
Holland showed flashes of aggressiveness and energy in garbage-time minutes, but the game was already long out of reach. Still, his willingness to attack stood out on a night where too many Pistons looked hesitant.
