Duncan Robinson flexes Pistons’ ‘disruptive’ effort on James Harden, Donovan Mitchell

The Detroit Pistons employed a balanced attack against the Cleveland Cavaliers to take Game 1, 111-101, of their second-round series at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday.

The Pistons did the majority of their damage on defense, forcing the Cavaliers to 20 turnovers, which they converted to 31 points.

They made life difficult for Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Mitchell had 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while Harden scored 22 points, but only made one of his seven three-point attempts. They combined for 10 turnovers.

Duncan Robinson touted Detroit’s defense, which he described as “disruptive,” against the All-Star duo of Cleveland.

“We have some really good individual defenders. It starts with AT (Ausar Thompson) and what he can do defensively, but with those guys, you gotta throw multiple guys at them,” said Robinson in an interview.

“I thought a lot of guys really stepped up. I thought Dannis (Jenkins) had a lot of really good possessions on those guys. Cade obviously rose to the occasion and took the challenge. Ron (Holland) had really good stretches.”

Whatupdoe! Can't believe I just interviewed Detroit Piston Duncan Robinson @d_bo20 after the huge game 1 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thank you so much to @fansview_app for making this happen! The full interview will be up at the https://t.co/m3YstHjuP7 website soon! pic.twitter.com/4t906TCVhD

— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) May 6, 2026

Robinson, who chipped in 19 points, including 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, noted that they are aware that Mitchell and Harden will always find ways to score, but it is their job to make it tough for them and force them to take bad shots.

The Pistons have relied on their defense all season, allowing just 109.7 points per game. They held the Orlando Magic to just 97.7 points per outing in the first round.

Detroit cannot afford to relax against proven scorers like Mitchell and Harden, but with the team’s commitment to defense, it looks like it won’t be a problem.

The post Duncan Robinson flexes Pistons’ ‘disruptive’ effort on James Harden, Donovan Mitchell appeared first on ClutchPoints.