National Basketball Association
Detroit 133, Cleveland 122
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, March 28, 2025
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Officials:
#3 Nick Buchert, #24 Kevin Scott, #79 John Conley
Attendance:
20062
By Field Level Media
Tim Hardaway Jr. had a season-high 32 points and the host Detroit Pistons clinched their first winning season in nine years by defeating the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 133-122 on Friday night.
The last time Detroit posted a winning season was 2015-16 when it finished 44-38. The Pistons (42-32) also snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Cavaliers. Detroit's had not beaten Cleveland since Feb. 24, 2022.
Malik Beasley supplied 19 points, while Ausar Thompson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Dennis Schroder contributed 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Jalen Duren tossed in 16 points with 13 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell carried the Cavaliers (59-15) with 38 points. Darius Garland had 21.
Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game due to a left calf contusion.
Hardaway scored 13 points in the first quarter as the Pistons grabbed a 31-26 lead. Detroit was still up by five, 63-58, at halftime. Hardaway was up to 19 points, while frontcourt partner Thompson had 12. Mitchell and Garland combined for 26 points for the Cavaliers.
Hardaway's 3-pointer two minutes into the second half gave Detroit a double-digit advantage at 71-61. He continued to put the pressure on Cleveland's defense, knocking down another 3-pointer and converting a layup off a feed from Schroder to make it 76-62.
Garland drained a 3-pointer with 4:35 left in the quarter to cut the Pistons' lead to 80-71, but Detroit quickly rebuilt the double-digit lead. Beasley hit two 3-pointers within a minute late in the quarter to make it 91-75. An 8-0 Pistons spurt pushed the lead to 101-80.
The Cavaliers chipped away from that point. When Dean Wade converted a three-point play with 6:55 left, the Pistons' advantage was down to 11. Two free throws by Mitchell trimmed the deficit to 116-106. Mitchell hit two 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to pull Cleveland within seven points.
When he hit another with 3:31 left, Detroit's lead was down to 119-117. That's as close as the Cavaliers would come. Thompson completed a 12-1 Pistons run with a steal and dunk.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
| Cleveland |
|
Detroit |
|
Donovan Mitchell 38 |
Scoring |
Tim Hardaway Jr. 32 |
|
Darius Garland 6 |
Assists |
Dennis Schroder 10 |
|
Evan Mobley 6 |
Rebounds |
Jalen Duren 13 |
|
Donovan Mitchell 11 |
Free Throws Made |
Malik Beasley 8 |
|
Sam Merrill 3 |
Steals |
Simone Fontecchio 2 |
|
Evan Mobley 2 |
Blocks |
Ausar Thompson 4 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Cleveland
|
122 |
46.4 |
15-40 |
29-38 |
16 |
41 |
3 |
9 |
15 |
| Detroit
|
133 |
47.8 |
15-34 |
30-35 |
25 |
43 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
Upcoming Games
-
Detroit will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Pistons have a W/L % of .548 after a win and .594 after a loss.
-
Cleveland will play their next game at home against L.A. Clippers. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .847 after a win and .600 after a loss.
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