It keeps looking winnable. It keeps ending the same.
The Cavaliers’ 107-97 road loss to Detroit in Game 2 had stretches where it felt like the series could flip. They were undoubtedly sharper in the second half. They even grabbed a brief fourth-quarter lead.
And still, they are heading home down 0-2.
The reasons are not complicated. They are just repeating.
Turnovers continue to undercut everything. Early giveaways put the Cavs behind again, forcing them to chase. Against a team as steady as Detroit, that is a tough way to live.
James Harden (10 points, 3-of-13 shooting, four turnovers) never quite settled the offense. Donovan Mitchell eventually did. His 31 points came with force and intent, and for a moment, it looked like it might be enough to change the script.
It wasn’t.
Cade Cunningham (25 points, 10 assists) controlled the tempo. Tobias Harris (21 points, seven rebounds) and Duncan Robinson (17 points) delivered when it mattered. Detroit made the plays that Cleveland could not sustain.
That is where the gap is right now. Not effort. Not opportunity. Execution.
There is a case to be made that the Cavs could be up in this series. Instead, they are staring at 0-2, with less margin than ever to keep learning the same lesson.
Game 3 is Saturday at Rocket Arena (3 p.m. Eastern, NBC/Peacock).
No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. So it’s safe to say it’s must-win time for the Cavaliers.
But a win won’t come with more of the same. We’ve now learned what doesn’t work on two separate occasions.
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