The Detroit Pistons made a statement in Game 1 of their second-round series, snapping a painful playoff drought with a 111-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Led by Cade Cunningham's 23 points and Tobias Harris's 20, the top-seeded Pistons finally put an end to an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent—a skid that stretched all the way back to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.

Duncan Robinson chipped in 19 points, providing the floor spacing Detroit needed to keep Cleveland's defense honest. The Pistons came out firing, building an 18-point lead that seemed to put the game out of reach early. But the Cavaliers, as they've done all season, refused to go quietly.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, though it was a relatively quiet night by his lofty standards. The superstar guard saw his incredible NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers come to an end. James Harden added 22 points and Max Strus contributed 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who battled back to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night.

The turning point came when Cleveland's big man Jarrett Allen, so dominant in the previous round with a 22-point, 19-rebound elimination game against Toronto, was held to just two points and three rebounds. Without his usual interior presence, the Cavs struggled to control the glass and protect the paint in crucial moments.

For the Pistons, this win represents more than just a 1-0 series lead—it's a breakthrough moment for a franchise that has been waiting nearly two decades to taste playoff success against this opponent. The energy at Little Caesars Arena was electric, and if Game 1 is any indication, this series has all the makings of a classic.