Pistons 122-119 Cavaliers (Feb 27, 2026) Game Recap — pistons prevail in messy OT
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 122-119 in overtime to the Detroit Pistons, and the pistons prevailed after a chaotic night that grew increasingly chippy. The game featured a 10-minute horn delay, fan ejections and a half-court shooting foul in what one recap summed up as "This one had it all. "
Pistons edge Cavs in OT
The Eastern Conference showdown between two primary contenders went to overtime. After a physical, stop-start night that included the horn delay, fan ejections and the unusual half-court shooting foul, Detroit left with a 122-119 victory while Cleveland pushed until the end.
Cavs entered shorthanded
Cleveland arrived without several key players. The injury report was lengthy and listed Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Dean Wade and Keon Ellis. Max Strus didn’t play either. This many key players being on the sideline could have produced a dull matchup, but the Cavs fought until the bitter end and started the game with authority.
Schroder’s mixed night
Dennis Schroder provided the Cavs with needed ball-handling and shot creation, running the pick-and-roll throughout the night and making sure the Cavaliers’ bigs stayed involved. For most of the game he was Cleveland’s only reliable ball handler, but his usage became burdensome late: Schroder turned the ball over 8 times and shot 4-15.
Mobley’s return sparks offense
Evan Mobley had his best game since returning from a calf injury, finishing with 23 points and knocking down 4-of-8 three-pointers. Mobley threw down several highlight dunks, including two separate one-hand jams over Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, but he couldn’t hit the game-tying shot at the buzzer.
Porter’s playmaking, Allen’s strength
Craig Porter Jr. attacked the basket relentlessly and found success dishing to Cleveland’s bigs, finishing with 12 assists by night’s end and totaling 21 assists over his last two games. Jarrett Allen wrapped up a strong February with 25 points and 9 rebounds on 10-12 shooting, but he unfortunately fouled out late in the fourth quarter, and the Cavs simply didn’t execute down the stretch to close the game.
Aftermath and travel
The Cavaliers are now 37-24 and will head to Brooklyn on Sunday. Despite the absences of Mitchell, Harden, Wade, Ellis and Max Strus, Cleveland showed fight and defensive establishment early, but the messy sequence of events and late execution issues left them short in overtime.
This one had it all: a horn delay, fan ejections, a half-court shooting foul and an overtime finish that ended 122-119 in Detroit’s favor.
