Cavaliers Look to Over Come Injuries on the Road vs. First-Place Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take an injury ridden team up to Detroit to face the Pistons on ESPN.

Feb 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face arguably their toughest test of the regular season tonight against the Detroit Pistons, and they'll have to do it shorthanded as the status of James Harden is in question and Donovan Mitchell has been ruled out. 

The Cavs are coming off of a loss against the Bucks, which marked their second loss in three games after winning seven straight.

The Cavs are currently 37-23 and sit 7.5 games behind the Pistons. While the No. 1 seed in the East is most likely unattainable for Cleveland, a winning streak down the stretch could be enough to catapult them into the No. 3 or No. 2 seeds as they currently sit half a game behind the No. 3 Knicks and two games behind the current No. 2 seed Boston Celtics.

The Cavaliers will be hoping for a different result then their last match against the Pistons which saw Detroit win 114-110. The Cavaliers will play the Pistons again in a few days time as they'll meet in Cleveland on March 3. 

The Cavaliers will go into the matchup in Detroit with a 17-12 record when away from home, while Detroit holds a 23-7 home record. 

Cavaliers Will Have to Limit Cade Cunningham

Feb 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Pistons are well balanced and are led by guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 25.4 points per game. The Pistons as a team are shooting 34.9 percent from beyond the arc and 47.9 percent from the floor while averaging 46 rebounds per game. 

If James Harden is ruled out with the thumb injury, the Cavs will have a makeshift starting five as Donovan Mitchell has also been ruled out of the matchup against Detroit with a groin injury. It's a brutal stretch for Cleveland to be without their new backcourt duo.

Jalen Duren has been a force for Detroit and his matchup against Jarrett Allen will be one to watch. Duren is averaging 10.6 rebounds per game while Allen is averaging 8.6 per game. 

Outside of the Cavaliers bench getting hot tonight in Detroit, the path to victory will be extremely tough. The Pistons have no big major injuries, with their one notable absence being from Isaiah Stewart, who is still serving his suspension for his role in the on-court brawl against the Hornets.

The game against the Pistons will be played at Little Caesars Arena and will be aired on ESPN. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.