CLEVELAND, Ohio — Round Two goes to Detroit.

In the second meeting between two Eastern Conference heavyweights that are inextricably linked because of their deep organizational ties, the Cavs lost to the top-seeded Pistons, 114-110, inside Rocket Arena on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s tough to win in the NBA when you lose to possession game by 10,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said, pointing to rebounds and miscues. “Their physicality hurt us. They’re handsy. They guard the heck out of the ball. They’re physical as heck in pick and roll. Makes it hard on your offense. Give their defense credit. I think they’re number one in the league in defense right now or close to it. We couldn’t really get anything going.”

While the matchup lost some of its pregame luster because of absences on both sides, it certainly delivered the anticipated theatrics.

Paying homage to former coach J.B. Bickerstaff — a defensive-minded tactician who instilled a rugged and scrappy identity during his successful stint in Northeast Ohio — the Cavs got off to a roaring start, beating the Pistons at their own game, smothering them on defense and holding them to just 19 first-quarter points while forcing seven turnovers.

But the second quarter was much different — a Pistons assault from 3-point range that led to a 47-point explosion. Two-way guard Daniss Jenkins, who received high marks in Cleveland’s locker room before the game, capped Detroit’s spectacular quarter with a buzzer-beating triple in front of the Pistons’ bench.

That 12-minute turnaround put the Pistons up by 10 at the half. Jenkins poured in 21 in the quarter — a franchise-record for the most points ever scored in a quarter by a reserve.

He let the Cavs know about it too.

It seemed to be a wake-up call for Cleveland, which came out of the locker room with some extra juice, using a Donovan Mitchell-led 8-0 push to make it a one-possession game.

Although the Cavs eventually pulled back even a little later in the third, they never seized control, going into the fourth down by five.

Could they mount another furious fourth-quarter comeback? The third one in the last four games?

Not this time. Not on Bickerstaff’s watch. Not against an opponent that has thrived in the clutch this season — a primary reason for their impressive 26-9 record.

The Pistons opened the final quarter scoring 10 of the first 13 points, pushing the lead to 12.

They went up by a game-high 13 at the 4:59 mark of the fourth on former Cavalier Javonte Green’s corner triple. But Cleveland kept its composure and responded with a 9-0 run. Mitchell tallied seven of those points, as chants of De-fense, De-fense, De-fense echoed through the sold-out arena.

Bickerstaff called timeout. The young Pistons needed to regroup.

They did, holding off Cleveland’s latest comeback attempt and making enough clutch plays — and free throws — to grab a signature victory.

In all, the grimy Pistons led for more than 30 minutes, the final 15:10.

“I know we competed to the end, but it didn’t feel like we were right there the whole game,” Atkinson explained. “They had the advantage most of the game. As far as kind of who outplayed who, it was definitely them. They were the better team tonight.”

Two more games remain between these rivals. Perhaps Jarrett Allen (illness), Dean Wade (knee soreness) and Max Strus (foot surgery) will be available for the Cavaliers. Maybe the Pistons, missing Jalen Duren (ankle), Tobias Harris (hip) and Caris LeVert (knee), will finally be full strength to provide an accurate gauge of these two teams — both at one point considered threats to win the conference crown.

Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points, including 23 in the second half. Four other Cavaliers reached double figures — Darius Garland (16), Evan Mobley (16), Sam Merrill (15) and De’Andre Hunter (14).

The Pistons got 27 points from All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham. Jenkins chipped in with 25 off the bench.

“Can’t get lax,” Mitchell said after the game. “We started off well and then you’ve gotta play catch up. We’re always gonna fight. There’s always that. But we should have won this game and we didn’t. That’s on us.”

Despite the hoopla surrounding the game, and the Pistons currently occupying the spot where the Cavs expected to be, Atkinson said his team’s true measuring stick is themselves. Not the Pistons or any other opponent. It’s about continuing on a recent upward trajectory.

So much for that.

“That’s a really good team. We feel like we’re a really good team,” Merrill said. “We threw some punches. They threw some punches. Definitely battled there at the end, wasn’t quite enough and that’s when you look back at their big second quarter and some of the mistakes you make that at this level, against really good teams, your little mistakes get maximized and we probably had too many of those today.

“I think we have all the talent, all the skillset, and I absolutely feel like we’re not playing on the level that maybe they’re playing right now — you are what your record says you are at this point — but I do think we are starting to play to a level that we know we’re capable of. There’s ups and downs in the season and sometimes the downs are a little longer than we’d like, but I feel confident about where we’re going.”

Maybe the Cavs will finally, eventually, get to where Detroit is — atop the East.

At this point, they are still a long way from there.

Up next

The Cavs open a two-game road trip with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.