Cavs Backup Guard Schroder Says Pistons Can't Hang With Them in Playoffs

Dennis Schroder believes the Cavaliers can beat the Pistons in a playoff series despite Detroit's strong regular season record.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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After the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday night, Cavs backup point guard Dennis Schroder said that the Cavaliers can play with the Pistons and don't believe Detroit can beat them in a playoff series. Schroder's comments come after the Cavaliers lost a close game to the Pistons last Friday, leading to anonymous comments from the Cavs locker room that the Pistons can't hang with Cleveland in the playoffs.

Why it matters

The Cavaliers and Pistons are two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and a potential playoff matchup between the two would be highly anticipated. Schroder's comments suggest the Cavaliers believe they have the talent to defeat the Pistons, even though Detroit currently holds a 7.5 game lead over Cleveland in the standings.

The details

In Tuesday's win, the Cavaliers were without star player Donovan Mitchell due to a groin injury, but were still able to hold off a late Pistons comeback attempt. Schroder had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench for Cleveland. The Cavaliers were also able to limit Pistons star Cade Cunningham to just 10 points on the night.

  • The Cavaliers lost to the Pistons 113-109 on Friday, March 1, 2026.
  • The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Dennis Schroder

A backup point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers who had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the win over the Pistons.

Cade Cunningham

The star player for the Detroit Pistons who was limited to just 10 points in the loss to the Cavaliers.

J.B. Bickerstaff

The head coach of the Detroit Pistons who responded to anonymous comments from the Cavaliers locker room about the Pistons not being able to beat them in the playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“We let one slip on Friday in Detroit, we could've won that one as well. But we showed that we can play with them. Obviously they're a great group and talented group, but we're not bad, either.”

— Dennis Schroder, Cavaliers Backup Point Guard (Daryl Ruiter)

“I have no response. If you mean it, you don't say it anonymously.”

— J.B. Bickerstaff, Pistons Head Coach (Cleveland.com)

What’s next

The Cavaliers and Pistons will face off again on March 15, 2026 in a potential playoff preview.

The takeaway

The Cavaliers believe they have the talent to defeat the Pistons in a playoff series, even though Detroit currently holds a sizable lead in the standings. This sets up an intriguing potential postseason matchup between two of the East's top teams.