CLEVELAND (Interstat) – Jalen Duren posted 15 points and 11 rebounds with three blocks and Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and dished eight assists as the Detroit Pistons fended off elimination with a 115-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series.

The top-seeded Pistons, who entered the game trailing the series 3-2, dominated the second half to stave off a Cavaliers team that had won the previous three games. Detroit outscored Cleveland 30-19 in the third quarter and 31-24 in the fourth, flipping a one-point halftime deficit into a comfortable lead that never faded.

Game 7 will be played Sunday in Detroit.

The Pistons shot 46.7 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range, while the Cavaliers connected on 42.1 percent of their field goals and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. Detroit made 14 of 19 free throws; Cleveland hit 14 of 23.

Paul Reed came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabbed six rebounds, providing a critical scoring punch in the second half. Daniss Jenkins added 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, hitting four three-pointers. Ausar Thompson finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Duncan Robinson scored 14 points, making four threes.

For Cleveland, James Harden led all scorers with 23 points, adding seven rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. Evan Mobley contributed 18 points and six rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points with four rebounds and three assists. Jarrett Allen had 13 points and eight rebounds.

The game began with both teams trading baskets. Detroit opened the scoring on a Cunningham layup after Thompson stole a Harden pass. Harden answered with a floater, and the Cavaliers quickly built a lead behind Mobley and Mitchell. Cleveland led 25-23 after the first quarter, with Mitchell scoring seven points and Harden adding five.

The second quarter saw continued back-and-forth play. Detroit’s Reed provided a spark, scoring six points in the period. Cunningham hit a pair of three-pointers, and the Pistons took a brief lead before Cleveland closed the half on a 7-2 run. A Mitchell dunk off a steal and a Strus three put the Cavaliers up 51-48 at halftime.

The pivotal moment arrived early in the third quarter. Cunningham drilled a three from deep to tie the game, and then Jenkins connected from beyond the arc to give Detroit a lead it would not relinquish. The Pistons’ defense tightened, forcing multiple turnovers and contesting every Cleveland shot. Duren blocked a Harden floater, and Thompson added a block of his own on the perimeter.

Detroit outscored Cleveland 15-6 over the first six minutes of the third quarter, turning a three-point deficit into a 63-57 advantage. Reed continued his efficient scoring, hitting a layup and a free throw after drawing a foul. Robinson knocked down a pair of three-pointers, and the Pistons stretched the lead to 78-70 by the end of the quarter.

The Cavaliers attempted to rally in the fourth. Mitchell scored eight points in the period, and Harden added seven, including a step-back three that cut the deficit to 85-80 with 7:15 left. But Detroit responded with a 17-5 run over the next five minutes, capped by a Jenkins three-pointer that made it 102-85. The Pistons coasted from there, emptying their bench in the final two minutes.

Duren, who had struggled in the previous three games of the series with single-digit points, was the driving force for Detroit. He recorded his second double-double of the postseason, grabbing five offensive rebounds and altering numerous shots in the paint. His previous outings in the series had been 9, 8, 11 and 8 points, but he delivered when the Pistons needed him most.

Cunningham, the Pistons’ leading scorer in the game, played 42 minutes and shot 7 of 18 from the floor, including three of six from three-point range. He also committed five turnovers but orchestrated the offense effectively in the second half.

The loss dropped Cleveland to 59-36 on the season, while Detroit improved to 67-28.

Attendance was announced at 19,432 at Rocket Arena.

The series had been defined by home-court dominance. Cleveland had won three consecutive games after dropping the first two in Detroit. The Cavaliers had not lost at home in the postseason entering Friday, but the Pistons snapped that streak with a comprehensive second-half performance.

Detroit’s bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 44-18, led by Reed and Robinson. The Pistons also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to the Cavaliers’ 10, and converted those into 18 second-chance points.

The Cavaliers struggled to find consistent offense in the second half, shooting just 35.7 percent from the field after halftime. Harden, who had scored 23 points, went 6 of 16 overall and 3 of 10 from three. Mitchell finished 6 of 18 from the floor.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 117, Detroit 109. Its ELO system gave Cleveland a 67.30 percent probability to win. The Cavaliers were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 3.5. The total score of 209 went over the over/under line of 210.