Ron Holland shoots at Pistons practice with shooting coach Fred Vinson
Ron Holland shoots at Detroit Pistons practice with shooting coach Fred Vinson, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at the Pistons Performance Center.
The Detroit Pistons, missing two of their top players, couldn’t hang against a Cleveland Cavaliers team boasting most of its stars on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
The Pistons fell to the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, 118-100, to fall to 1-2 in NBA preseason.
The Pistons wrap up their four-game exhibition slate at home Thursday against the Washington Wizards, and tip off the regular season on the road against the Chicago Bulls next Wednesday.
The Pistons were without All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, who presumably is done for preseason after dominating their first two games, and guard Jaden Ivey, who missed his second consecutive game after starting the Pistons’ opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Monday that Ivey is dealing with “discomfort” and the team is easing him in back slowly.
Tobias Harris had 19 points for the Pistons, scoring 12 in the third quarter. Daniss Jenkins also scored 19 and Ron Holland scored 11. Ausar Thompson fouled out with 9:36 left in the fourth and finished with nine points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block and a pair of turnovers.
The Cavaliers were led by Donovan Mitchell (17 points), Jarrett Allen (15 points, six rebounds) and Dean Wade (15 points). They were without backcourt starters Darius Garland and Max Strus, but otherwise had three of their top four players against a depleted Pistons starting five.
With their top-two ball-handlers out, the Pistons struggled with turnovers early against a fierce Cavaliers defense with eight in the first quarter and 15 in the first half. But they found their groove offensively in the second quarter after trailing by 16, scoring 14 of their 26 points in the paint.
Harris led a third-quarter Pistons run, converting a three-point play at the 5:35 mark to extend their lead 74-69. But they ultimately couldn’t hang with a Cleveland team with multiple All-Stars in the starting lineup, and a 15-1 Cavaliers to close the third period put the game away as Bickerstaff put his two-way players on the floor — Jenkins, Tolu Smith and Colby Jones.
Daniss Jenkins shines in starting role
With the shot clock winding out, the two-way guard knocked down a deep 3-pointer to cap a 15-3 Pistons run to open the second period. The shot gave them the lead, 46-45, and was a big bucket for a guard who has put together three high-effort performances through three games.
Jenkins scored his 19 points on just six shots, making five, including three 3s. He went 6-for-7 at the foul line. Jenkins scored nine points in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Thursday, and tallied seven points and six assists in the preaseason opener against the Grizzlies.
Ron Holland sparks Pistons in first half
Without Cunningham and Ivey, the Pistons struggled to generate open shots while battling the Cavaliers’ swarming defenders. Holland checked in midway through the first, and his aggression helped the offense get going. He scored nine straight, including a 3-pointer and a floater through contact leading into a three-point play.
Holland only went 3-for-10 from the floor, but helped the Pistons overcome a slow start to take the lead in the second quarter. He has knocked down a 3-pointer in all three preseason games, continuing to show progress after hitting 23.8% of his 3s last season.
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