The Pistons lost 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night, but Game 5 still changed the shape of the series for one simple reason. Once Duncan Robinson was ruled out with lower back soreness, Detroit had to start Daniss Jenkins, and the rookie gave the Pistons a far more downhill, ballhandling-heavy backcourt than Cleveland had been preparing for.
Jenkins changed the lineup before the game changed the score
Robinson’s absence took a spacer out of Detroit’s starting group, but it also forced the Pistons into a different kind of creation. Jenkins stepped in and produced 19 points, three assists, two blocks and a steal in a larger postseason role.
That line matters because it came with a different feel. Instead of using the spot to mirror Robinson’s shooting gravity, Detroit got another guard who wanted to attack, handle pressure and keep the ball moving side to side. Cleveland saw a version of the Pistons that could play faster and get into offense earlier.
The rookie did not sound overwhelmed by the stage
Jenkins’ postgame comments sounded less like a bench player happy to survive and more like a guard who thought the game was there to win. “We ain’t supposed to lose that lead like that, man,” he said after Detroit let the late advantage slip. He also pointed directly at the problem, saying the Pistons gave up too many timely threes and needed to execute better when Cleveland trapped Cade Cunningham.
That response matters going into Game 6. Detroit is not just patching a rotation hole if Robinson remains out. It may have found a ballhandler willing to punish the extra attention Cleveland keeps sending at Cunningham.
The spacing worked differently, not necessarily worse
Jenkins explained that playing next to Marcus Sasser helped because “he helps space the floor, and I try to attack and get downhill”. That is a cleaner description of Detroit’s shift than simply calling it a replacement start.
With Robinson, the Pistons stretch the floor with reputation. With Jenkins, they stretch the defense by forcing one more point of attack decision. Cleveland can still live with some of that if it keeps the ball out of the middle, but the tradeoff is that Cunningham gets a little less burdened and Detroit gets into the paint a little easier.
Game 6 is now about whether Cleveland can guard the new version
The Cavaliers still have the series edge and the home floor, but the Detroit they just saw is not the same one that opened the night. Jenkins said Cleveland trapping Cunningham should have been “an advantage for us”. For long stretches, he was right.
If Robinson cannot go Friday, the question is no longer whether Jenkins can survive those minutes. He already did more than that. The real question is whether Cleveland can take away Detroit’s extra ballhandler without reopening the very driving lanes and kickout sequences that nearly sent this series back to a dead tie.
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