The Detroit Pistons kicked off their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a statement win Tuesday night, holding off a fierce Cleveland Cavaliers comeback to take Game 1, 111-101, at Little Caesars Arena. For most of the night, the Pistons looked every bit the team that dominated the regular season: energetic, confident, and in complete control.

But as often happens in the playoffs, momentum shifted in a hurry. The Cavaliers erased a double-digit lead with an 11-0 fourth-quarter run, tying the game at 93-93 and silencing the home crowd. Just when it seemed like a night of hard work might slip away, the Pistons found their anchor in Jalen Duren.

Detroit's All-Star center, who had taken more than his share of criticism during a tough first-round series against Orlando, turned the tide with a series of game-changing plays. With the score tied at 93 and just over five minutes left, Duren tipped away a James Harden floater. On the other end, Cade Cunningham found him for a go-ahead dunk. Then another rebound. Then another Cunningham assist. And another dunk. Three straight possessions, three ferocious dunks from Duren, forcing Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson to call a timeout as the arena erupted.

"After that, it was a little bit of an avalanche for them," Atkinson admitted.

The Cavaliers never recovered. But the real story wasn't just Duren's heroics—it was the Pistons' refusal to let the moment overwhelm them. Despite all the subplots surrounding this series, from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff facing his former team to an anonymous Cavs player claiming Detroit "isn't in our class," the Pistons stayed locked in. After clawing their way through a grueling first round, they weren't about to let Game 1 slip away.

For Detroit, this was more than a win. It was a statement that their regular-season energy and confidence are built to last deep into the postseason.