DETROIT, May 7, 2026, 19:03 EDT
Cleveland will have to make do without reserve guard Sam Merrill for Thursday’s Game 2 against the Detroit Pistons, after a hamstring injury sidelined him and left the Cavaliers with less shooting to work with as they try to pull even in an Eastern Conference semifinal series Detroit currently leads 1-0. Merrill suffered the injury early in Tuesday’s Game 1 defeat, underwent an MRI, and then missed Wednesday’s practice, according to the Associated Press.
Not much went right for Cleveland. Detroit snagged 19 turnovers in Game 1 and cashed those into 31 points, then slammed the door with an 18-8 burst after the Cavs pulled even at 93 with 5:28 to play. That swung a tight contest straight into a 111-101 Pistons victory.
That’s what makes Game 2 unusually significant. NBA.com’s Shaun Powell pointed out that if Detroit goes up 2-0, the Pistons grab the leverage and a cushion with the series heading to Cleveland. For the Cavaliers—who already slogged through seven games to eliminate Toronto in round one—dropping another puts them in a tough hole.
Merrill put up 12.8 points per game during the regular season and hit double digits twice in Cleveland’s opening series with the Raptors. With him sidelined, the Cavaliers may have less space on the perimeter—shooters like Merrill stretch defenses, pulling them away from the paint—right when Detroit is packing bodies around Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
Detroit missed Kevin Huerter, sidelined again by an adductor injury, NBC Sports’ Rotoworld said. That marked his fifth consecutive game out. Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green remained key contributors off the Pistons bench.
Detroit came out in Game 1 with a clear directive: get aggressive on the ball, attack the paint, and force Cleveland’s guards to defend every inch. Jalen Duren posted 11 points alongside a game-best 12 boards. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff pointed to Detroit’s physical style, saying it was designed to “wear you down.” NBA
Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson highlighted issues with spacing and screening after Game 1, zeroing in on Detroit’s relentless on-ball defense. “Stuck like glue,” he said, describing how Pistons defenders hounded Cavaliers ball handlers. Harden’s stat line—22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists—didn’t tell the whole story, either. He coughed up the ball seven times, and the Cavaliers will need more control from him in the next outing. Reuters
Detroit keeps spinning around Cade Cunningham. In Game 1, he put up 23 points with seven assists. Tobias Harris chipped in 20 points and grabbed eight boards. Duncan Robinson finished with 19, and Jenkins tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals. Robinson described Cunningham as “the catalyst” powering Detroit’s offense. NBA
This pairing extends a trend seen throughout the postseason. According to NBA.com, Detroit and Oklahoma City—both top seeds competing this week—ranked first and second in defensive rating during the regular season. The Thunder limited the Los Angeles Lakers to just 90 points in their Game 1 victory, and the Pistons disrupted Cleveland by forcing turnovers.
Detroit’s lead is hardly secure. Cleveland wiped out an 18-point gap in Game 1. If Mitchell and Harden limit turnovers and Jarrett Allen with Evan Mobley hold their own against Duren on the boards, this series could flip quickly—possibly before heading back to Cleveland.
Tipoff for Game 2 was set for 7 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena, streaming on Prime Video. The best-of-seven series — first to four wins — heads to Cleveland following Thursday night.
