Cavs fall flat in Game 1 as turnovers, physical play doom them vs. Pistons

The Cavaliers spent most of Tuesday night trying to recover from mistakes. There were too many to overcome.

Cleveland committed 20 turnovers in a 111-101 Game 1 road loss to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals, including seven from James Harden.

That told much of the story.

The Cavs briefly tied the game midway through the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 18 points, but Detroit answered quickly and closed it out behind 23 points from Cade Cunningham and 20 from Tobias Harris.

Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points for Cleveland, ending his NBA-record streak of 30-point performances in nine straight series openers. Harden added 22 points and Max Strus finished with 19.

Jarrett Allen, meanwhile, never found a rhythm after dominating Toronto in Game 7 of the first round. He was limited to two points and three rebounds.

If the Cavs are going to win this series, the formula is pretty clear.

They have to take better care of the ball. They have to win the scrums and loose-ball battles. They have to keep Detroit off the offensive glass.

In Game 1, they lost in all three areas. That part mattered more than anything.

Detroit consistently looked quicker to loose balls, more physical in traffic and more composed during key stretches. The Pistons also got 19 points from Duncan Robinson while controlling the tone for most of the night.

Game 2 is Thursday in Detroit. The Cavs already know what has to improve.

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