Pistons Must Make These Adjustments To Take Series Lead Against Cavaliers in Game 5

From leaving Detroit with a 2-0 series lead, the Pistons have been pegged back to 2-2. What adjustments do they need to make in a crucial Game 5.

May 11, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of game four in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons are back home for their pivotal Game 5 clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers after a disappointing two-game road trip, where their 2-0 lead was wiped out.

Now with the series knotted up at 2-2, what adjustments do the Pistons need to make ahead of the fifth game on homecourt tonight?

One overall positive is that the Cavs are 0-5 on the road, but that record alone doesn’t automatically hand Detroit a victory, and if the last two games are anything to go by, Cleveland will fancy their chances to take advantage of this tie heading to Game 6 on Friday. So what do the Pistons need to do?

Leading scorers can’t go quiet

For the Pistons to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris need to be consistent and find ways to put the ball in the basket.

In Game 4, especially during the Cavs’ 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter. Cleveland trailed 56-50 at that point.

Harris, who had 14 points at halftime, failed to trouble the scorers in the third, and Cunningham, who had 12 points at the break, also didn’t score in the third. In the fourth, those two combined for only nine points. It was a dagger for the Pistons that cost them a 3-1 lead and a potential Finals-clincher.

Jalen Duren needs to come back into the room

After a solid first two games of this series, Jalen Duren has faded away and desperately needs to rekindle his form if the Pistons are to progress to the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the last two contests in Cleveland, Duren has scored a combined 19 points and, worse still, has pulled down just six rebounds.

For a player who averaged 10.5 boards during the regular season, and has posted double-digit averages in total rebounds. It isn’t good enough. The Cavs had 16 second-chance points, which could have been shrunk.

The positive is that Duren has excelled at Little Caesars Arena. In Game 1, he posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and in Game 2, he flirted again with a double-double, amassing 8 points and 10 boards. He doesn’t need to be a scorer; the 22-year-old needs to be assertive under the basket and limit second-chance opportunities.

Maybe use Paul Reed more

With Duren struggling, it could be worth a punt to use Paul Reed a little more in Game 5.

Okay, experiments are out of the window in the playoffs, but Duren’s last two performances have been woeful, where as Reed has been a spark plug coming off the bench.

In the last two games in Cleveland, Reed has averaged 13 points in 12 minutes and consistently delivered when called upon in the postseason. This isn’t a call for him to start, but the Pistons are starting to give him slightly more minutes.

Maybe more responsibility?