Pistons 122-119 Cavaliers in OT after Horn Delay and Late-Game Chaos
The Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-119 in overtime Friday in Detroit, a victory punctuated by a prolonged horn malfunction and a chaotic finish that included a half-court shooting foul and multiple ejections. The result matters now because the pistons held off a short-handed Cavs roster and the game’s 3-hour, 22-minute duration will shape rotations and rest for both clubs before upcoming matchups.
Jalen Duren’s 33 points power Detroit
Jalen Duren led Detroit with 33 points and 16 rebounds, anchoring the Pistons’ interior presence. Cade Cunningham added 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists but fouled out late in regulation. The Pistons outscored Cleveland 16-7 down the stretch of regulation to force the extra period, reversing a nine-point Cavs lead at 2: 44 left in the fourth.
Horn delay and scoreboard malfunction disrupted third quarter
The game was interrupted when a blaring horn sounded during a timeout with Detroit up 65-64. One account detailed an 18-minute interruption in the third quarter after a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction and the horn to remain on after signaling the teams to return to the floor. Another description called it a roughly 10-minute horn delay. Staff ultimately shut down the scoreboard to stop the horn and play resumed with a manual airhorn. Because of that delay and the overtime period, the contest lasted 3 hours, 22 minutes.
Cavaliers’ injuries and lineup challenges
Cleveland arrived shorthanded. The injury report for the night included Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, both absent with Mitchell listed on the longer injury list and Harden sidelined with a thumb issue; Dean Wade and Keon Ellis were also among those unavailable, and Max Strus did not play. Those absences left the Cavaliers relying on a thin rotation and heavy workloads for remaining players.
Pistons hold off late fouls and half-court chaos
With Cleveland leading 114-111 and 4. 7 seconds left in regulation, Jaylon Tyson attempted an intentional foul near halfcourt on Daniss Jenkins. Jenkins instead was able to shoot, drew three free throws and made all of them, a sequence that helped push the game to overtime. The night included fan ejections and what was described as a half-court shooting foul in the final seconds of regulation.
Cavaliers’ individual efforts — big nights, costly miscues
Jarrett Allen finished with 25 points and nine rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting but fouled out late in the fourth quarter. Evan Mobley scored 23 points with 12 rebounds and was 4-of-8 from three, delivering multiple highlight dunks — including two one-hand jams over Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren — but missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer. Sam Merrill contributed 20 points. Dennis Schroder took on primary ball-handling duties, running pick-and-rolls and engaging the bigs, but he also turned the ball over eight times and shot 4-for-15. Craig Porter Jr. attacked the basket and finished with 12 assists, giving him 21 assists over his last two games.
Pistons remain East-leading and both teams eye quick turnarounds
Detroit entered the night as the East-leading club and preserved that standing with the win. Cleveland, now 37-24, will travel to Brooklyn on Sunday, while Detroit is scheduled to visit Cleveland on Tuesday night. The timing matters because the extended delay and overtime lengthened tonight’s contest and will compress both teams’ recovery windows before those upcoming matchups.
Ultimately, the game combined high-level individual performances with a cascade of unusual events — a scoreboard power surge, a prolonged horn, a half-court shooting foul, multiple ejections and an overtime buzzer miss — producing a messy thriller that split the difference between mechanical failure and late-game basketball drama.
