Niyo: Pistons' won't easily shake this Game 5 collapse

Detroit — Eminem was sitting courtside with 50 Cent. Detroit basketball royalty sat nearby, as Isiah Thomas and Ben Wallace looked on. But home cooking only takes you so far in the NBA playoffs.

And whether you want to blame the whistles that blew or the one that didn’t, you can’t ignore the plays the Pistons failed to make, either. They’ll pack some regrets as they head back to Cleveland trying to keep their season alive Friday, suddenly facing elimination after letting a pivotal Game 5 slip away Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. After watching a nine-point lead evaporate in the final few minutes of regulation, some glaring mistakes in overtime sealed Detroit’s fate in a 117-113 loss .

Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 39 points Wednesday, but he also committed a costly turnover early in overtime and then missed a free-throw cutout with 22 seconds left in what was still a one-possession game. And on a night where the Pistons appeared poised to regain control of this best-of-seven series, that ugly finish was one they won’t easily forget. Neither will the fans, of course, particularly after the way regulation ended Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers put the ball in the hands of star guard Donovan Mitchell, but some terrific defense by Ausar Thompson ended with him knocking the ball loose on Mitchell’s attempted floater. Then came the controversy, though, as Thompson tried to chase down the loose ball and was tripped up by Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen. He went sprawling to the floor with 1.