January 4, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) blocks a shot by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The Cleveland Cavaliers sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference but are currently the favorite to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, according to oddsmakers and bettors.
This is largely due to the trade deadline acquisition of veteran guard James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavaliers will have a chance to justify the hype when they visit the conference’s top team, the Detroit Pistons, on Friday night.
Harden’s status for the upcoming game is uncertain due to a non-displaced fracture of his right thumb during Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks. He did not play in Wednesday’s 118-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I looked at his thumb, and it looked like my finger when it was broken,” center Jarrett Allen said. “I knew something was wrong and I was waiting to see if he was going to get over it or not. He was talking about it. But it’s just one of those things. In this league, people get knocked down and you have to keep going.”
If Harden is unable to play again, the Cavaliers will look to expand the role of another veteran guard, Dennis Schroder, who played a key role for the Pistons in last season’s stretch run.
“I always felt in my heart that he was the starting point guard in this league,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’ve always looked at him like that. He’s been like that before.”
Cleveland was also missing leading scorers Donovan Mitchell (groin strain) and Evan Mobley (injury management) against Milwaukee. Schröder had 26 points and five assists and Allen had 27 points, but his apparent tying goal wavered as time expired.
The Cavaliers dominated the series against the Pistons in recent seasons, winning 12 straight. Detroit broke that streak last March, and the two teams have split their first two matchups this season.
The Pistons have won six of their last seven games. They struggled to hold off a severely undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder team on Wednesday, but won 124-116.
Cade Cunningham scored 13 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. He also had 13 assists but committed eight turnovers. Detroit’s other All-Star, Jalen Duren, paced the Thunder’s depleted frontcourt with 29 points and 15 rebounds.
“I think I understand that scoring is going to be more important to me this year, and if I just keep trying to add that to my game, I’m going to get better and better,” Duren said. “I’m really just giving our team everything they need. I’ve had countless conversations with (coach) JB (Bickerstaff), and he’s been letting me know and encouraging me to stay aggressive and keep attacking. It’s going well.”
The Pistons suffered a home loss to the San Antonio Spurs two days ago, and Bickerstaff didn’t think his team was fully recovered until Wednesday.
“It’s been a mixed bag, to be honest,” Bickerstaff said of the team’s performance. “There were some really good moments where we did what we needed to do, and there were times when we felt like we wanted to get that back in the game.
“But our guys find a way. They do the right thing. Their heart is in the right place. They’re trying to do what we asked them to do. So let’s go back to the film and move on.”
–Field level media
