The Pistons survived a second-half Cavaliers surge with confidence. Cade Cunningham took over in the fourth to secure a 2-0 lead in the second-round series. But Cleveland had its moments, particularly Donovan Mitchell. Spida was a clear outlier, scoring 31, while his team’s backcourt heavily struggled.

Mitchell’s offensive display didn’t lead to a win. But one of his moves may have led to the creation of new terminology. The former Jazz guard had Pistons veteran Tobias Harris dancing and turning in the first quarter. Mitchell launched a series of feral dribble moves before leaving Harris in the dust.

The Pistons forward changed direction so many times that his hip got stuck. Harris fell to the court in pain. Fans felt like the Cavaliers star grabbed Harris’ knee. And to be fair, there was slight contact while driving, but Mitchell had Harris broken down and stuck in place before that.

“We’ve seen an ankle breaker… is this the first hip breaker?” said the announcers. The 33-year-old actually went to ground on his own. It appeared as if the Pistons forward genuinely injured the right side of his hip in trying to guard Mitchell. Luckily, Harris was fine after a little treatment and continued.

Harris recovered with another 20+ point performance. He passed the threshold for a seventh straight game in these playoffs. Harris finished the game with an efficient 21 points, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He also made two threes and had 7 rebounds during the game.

The seasoned competitor has stepped up and is a key reason the Pistons are even in the second round.

Confidence is key to Tobias Harris, Pistons’ success

The Pistons have a co-star besides Cade Cunningham. Center Jalen Duren was an All-Star, but hasn’t managed to cope with the bright lights of the playoffs. He looks hesitant and has yet to score 20 points in nine playoff games. That’s why Tobias Harris’ consistent output was necessary. And head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knew he could rely on the veteran for one reason.

“Confidence. There’s no insecurity in who he is, and when you don’t have those insecurities in the moment, you can play free. You trust the work that you have put in because you know how much time you’ve put in over the years to do what you do… He knows his game,” said the Pistons head coach.

Similarly, the Pistons had to show confidence in their principles tonight. Ausar Thompson, their best perimeter defender, was in foul trouble. The same was the case with Isaiah Stewart, the team’s prolific shot blocker. However, Bickerstaff didn’t ask the team to change anything. He wanted them to play with physicality and keep pressuring the Cavaliers, even if the whistles didn’t go their way.

That confidence in the team’s playstyle eventually paid dividends. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers couldn’t find many ways past their tenacity. The Cavs shot just 7-32 from beyond the arc. James Harden shot 3-13 from the field, and the Pistons’ disruption also resulted in four costly turnovers from his end.

Detroit doesn’t mind Donovan Mitchell going off for the rest of the series. They aim to find a healthy balance on both sides of the floor. Defensively, that’s playing together with intensity for 48 minutes. Offensively, the Cunningham-Harris tandem has led them to five consecutive playoff wins.