Cavs’ Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen reveal plan to slowing down Pistons bigs in Game 7

For most of the second-round NBA playoff series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have thoroughly outplayed and outwitted Jalen Duren. That was far from the case in Game 6 on Friday night, as Duren and Paul Reed won the big-man battle going away for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It had to be that way with the Pistons’ backs against the wall, but the Cavs were not prepared for either of their surges.

“It’s just the whole story of the game,” Jarrett Allen told ClutchPoints after the 115-94 loss at home. “They were the aggressors. They came in, threw the first punch.”

“They won the force battle,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson told ClutchPoints in his postgame press conference. “We won it last game. They won it tonight. That’s how this goes.”

Duren took the first five games of this matchup on the chin and rewarded Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for trusting him. Playing with the most desperation on the floor, he was attacking Mobley off the dribble in isolation early and often. It’s a play that had been stifled and locked down until the elimination game, yet when the ball was in his hands, Duren showcased a crossover and careful footwork to get near the rim. He finished the close-range looks with poise.

In addition to that, the 22-year-old center was all over the glass on each end, particularly providing multiple backbreaking second chances for his team. His rim protection was felt more than in any other game up to this point vs. Cleveland, too, finishing with three blocks and a steal to go with his 15 points and 11 rebounds.

“Just keeping him off the boards,” Evan Mobley said of the task at hand in Detroit. “I think a lot of his points came from, like, energy plays on the boards. A lot of long rebounds tonight. So we’ve got to figure out a way to come up with them somehow, some way, and then once we get them, just push the pace and go downhill.”

Even when Duren was on the bench, Bickerstaff was able to turn to Reed. Just like he’s done for the entirety of the series, the talented reserve big man let the game come to him. Whether it was via the roll, slipping out of a screen, wrestling away a 50-50 ball, or going straight into Cleveland’s chest, Reed made the right reads for the Pistons as a super sub.

He also ensured he got the ball to a returning Duncan Robinson, playing the two-man game beautifully as Detroit’s veteran sharpshooter used his gravity to both shoot on the move and make plays for his frontcourt ducking in. In just 16 minutes, Reed scored 17 points, grabbed six boards, dished out an assist, and rejected a shot.

“I mean, right place, right time, he’s been attacking and making shots,” Mobley said. “Honestly, I think we’ve got to do a better job as bigs, shutting his water off, and I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job against their bigs up until now, and we’ve got to do a better job for this next game.”

“Paul Reed has been incredible this series,” Allen added. “We have to find a way to shut his water off. Jalen Duren on the offensive boards, we just have to box him out more.”

Combined, Duren and Reed combined for 32 points and 17 rebounds, four blocks, and a steal. Though Mobley and Allen were statistically similar and have been the better duo in this series overall, the impact disparity was palpable in Game 6.

“They were more forceful,” Atkinson reiterated. “More forceful in their drives, rebounds. They just had the advantage in being the more aggressive team. It’s just very clear. We’ve just got to switch it. We’ve got to turn the tables. Big key going into a Game 7. We can’t not be the more aggressive team, and they were today.”

The Pistons set the tone in the first quarter, then reasserted that dominance to begin the second half, which ultimately led to Cleveland’s demise.

Now, it’s on Mobley, Allen, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and the Cavs to respond — or else it’ll be another second-round exit in the postseason.

“Win the next one,” Mobley said of the locker room message. “Didn’t make it happen today, so you gotta recuperate, stay focused, stay locked in, and steal one at their house. We’ve got to bring it. It’s Game 7, so we’ve got to leave it all out there and come out with a win.”

“We have to do the same thing to them that they did to us here,” Allen added. “We have to go in, throw the first punch, and keep throwing the punch until we can’t anymore.”

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