Ausar Thompson had the worst game of his playoffs on Monday night, and the Pistons paid for every loose possession. Cleveland beat Detroit 112-103 on May 11, using a 22-0 burst to open the second half and erase a halftime deficit in Game 4.
The Cavaliers were down at the break, but Donovan Mitchell turned the first moments of the third quarter into a one-man response, starting the half with an 8-0 run. Thompson was caught in the middle of it. He let Mitchell cut into the lane for an easy catch and a floater, then later went to complain to officials instead of getting back on defense after missing an offensive rebound. Cade Cunningham clapped at Thompson and appeared to tell him to stop complaining. Thompson was eventually lost, got in foul trouble and got benched as the game slipped away.
Caris LeVert gave Cleveland 17 points in the first half, helping keep the Cavaliers close until the game changed completely after the break. From there, the third quarter belonged to Cleveland. Detroit had not defended, had not communicated and had not played anything resembling Detroit Pistons basketball during the stretch that broke the game open.
The result leaves the series tied after Game 4 and puts the focus squarely on Detroit’s young core before Game 5. Thompson matters because when he cannot do what he does, the Pistons cannot do near enough to beat a team as good as Cleveland offensively. That is the hard part now for Cunningham and the rest of the roster: find a way to answer a team that exposed every lapse and made them pay immediately.
