Pistons Notes: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, JB Bickerstaff, Game 7

The Pistons are not going away.

Facing elimination again, Detroit responded with a 115-94 road win in Game 6 to even the series vs. the Cavaliers at 3-all. It is now four straight wins this postseason when their backs are against the wall.

Detroit leaned into what got them here. Effort. Defense. Trust in their young core, even when it has been uneven offensively.

Ausar Thompson was everywhere, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block before fouling out. Jalen Duren added 13 points and nine boards, playing with more force than he had most of the series.

Cade Cunningham led the way with 21 points, seven assists and five three-pointers.

It was not perfect. It was enough.

First-Round Lesson

Detroit has been here before. That counts for something.

The comeback from a 3-1 deficit against Orlando in the first round continues to show up in this series. The approach is simple. Stay in the fight. Do not panic.

Former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated that mentality has carried over, especially in elimination games.

The Pistons have stuck with their identity, even when the offense stalls. They have trusted their defense, their length and their ability to create chaos.

So far, it has worked just enough to keep the season alive.

Game 7, Again

Now it comes down to one game.

Game 7 is set for Sunday in Detroit (8 p.m., Prime). Winner moves on. Loser heads home with questions.

For the Pistons, this is still a learning experience for a young team. For the Cavs, the stakes feel different. A second straight missed opportunity would linger.

Detroit will have the crowd. Cleveland will have the pressure.

Either way, nothing about this series has come easy. No reason to expect anything different now.