Skip to content
Scores

Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons

7:30 PM

Matchup preview

Last season: too early in this one to read much from it

Matchup odds

No moneylines yet.

Who wins?

CLE

Season leaders, per game

DET
The teams side by side: Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons compared, with league ranks
CLEStatDET
52–30Record60–22
Offense
4.0, 9th in the leagueNet rating3rd in the league, 8.0(better)
117.0(better), 5th in the leagueOffensive rating10th in the league, 115.4
101.8, 13th in the leaguePace16th in the league, 101.4
56.1(better), 4th in the leagueeFG%16th in the league, 54.6
11.7(better), 9th in the leagueTOV%17th in the league, 12.3
26.9, 9th in the leagueOREB%3rd in the league, 30.9(better)
0.265, 15th in the leagueFT rate5th in the league, 0.292(better)
Defense
112.9, 15th in the leagueDefensive rating2nd in the league, 107.4(better)
54.3, 14th in the leagueOpp. eFG%1st in the league, 51.7(better)
12.5, 13th in the leagueOpp. TOV%1st in the league, 14.1(better)
74.4(better), 11th in the leagueDREB%14th in the league, 74.2
0.263(better), 16th in the leagueOpp. FT rate30th in the league, 0.319

This season's meetings

They have not met this season.

Injury report

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Peyton WatsonProbable· back Oct 1
    Report note

    Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.

    Cost -2.3 per 100

Detroit Pistons

Nobody listed.

Key players · CLE: Cleveland Cavaliers key players: season averages and the last 5 games
PlayerMINPTSREBASTLast 5Impact
James Harden34.923.64.88.021.0 / 2.2 / 4.81.7
Donovan Mitchell33.527.94.55.727.6 / 4.8 / 4.84.3
Evan Mobley31.918.29.03.614.8 / 9.0 / 3.42.6
Peyton Watson29.614.64.92.111.6 / 4.8 / 3.01.6
Jarrett Allen27.215.48.51.816.2 / 8.8 / 0.63.4
Key players · DET: Detroit Pistons key players: season averages and the last 5 games
PlayerMINPTSREBASTLast 5Impact
Cade Cunningham33.923.95.59.914.6 / 4.0 / 8.04.3
Jalen Duren28.219.510.52.019.4 / 9.6 / 3.63.6
Duncan Robinson27.412.22.72.114.8 / 2.4 / 2.22.3
John Collins27.113.65.31.013.4 / 6.2 / 1.2-0.8
Ausar Thompson26.09.95.73.110.2 / 4.4 / 4.44.1

Last five games

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Cavaliers: last five games
DateOpponentResultSpreadTotal
May 25 vs NYKLost 93–130––
May 23 vs NYKLost 108–121––
May 21 @ NYKLost 93–109––
May 19 @ NYKLost 104–115––
May 17 @ DETWon 125–94––
Detroit Pistons: Detroit Pistons: last five games
DateOpponentResultSpreadTotal
May 17 vs CLELost 94–125––
May 15 @ CLEWon 115–94––
May 13 vs CLELost 113–117––
May 11 @ CLELost 103–112––
May 9 @ CLELost 109–116––
Eastern Conference
#TeamWLPCTGBL10
1DET6022.732–8-2
2BOS5626.68348-2
3NYK5329.64676-4
4CLE5230.63487-3
5TOR4636.561146-4
6ATL4636.561146-4

Matchups by position

What each defense allows per game to guards, forwards and centers, against the league average. Rank 1 allows the most.

CLE attack against DET defense
PlayerPTSREBAST
Guards50.1 (lg 49.8) , 15th in the league13.3 (lg 13.6) , 15th in the league12.9 (lg 14.2) , 28th in the league
Forwards34.4 (lg 37.4) , 29th in the league14.2 (lg 15.3) , 25th in the league6.0 (lg 7.0) , 29th in the league
Centers9.3 (lg 10.7) , 27th in the league7.1 (lg 7.5) , 22nd in the league1.6 (lg 1.9) , 23rd in the league
DET attack against CLE defense
PlayerPTSREBAST
Guards47.6 (lg 49.8) , 24th in the league12.9 (lg 13.6) , 25th in the league14.2 (lg 14.2) , 17th in the league
Forwards39.4 (lg 37.4) , 5th in the league15.7 (lg 15.3) , 9th in the league7.2 (lg 7.0) , 14th in the league
Centers9.4 (lg 10.7) , 25th in the league7.5 (lg 7.5) , 16th in the league1.7 (lg 1.9) , 20th in the league

The box score appears at tip-off.