Pistons vs. Cavaliers: Game 2 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

If Wednesday night was any indication, the Cleveland Cavaliers may try to shoot their way to a second consecutive Eastern Conference title. 

In their 107-90 Game 2 first-round win over the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers tied an NBA postseason record by knocking down 20 three-pointers at a 52.6 percent clip to take a commanding 2-0 series lead against the East's No. 8 seed.   

LeBron James orchestrated the blowout victory behind 27 points (12-of-18 shooting, 2-of-4 from three), six rebounds and three assists, but some prolific three-point shooting by J.R. Smith and Kyrie Irving allowed the Cavaliers to set themselves apart against a Detroit offense that fell back to earth. 

Smith finished with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three, while Irving added 22 points (8-of-18 shooting, 4-of-7 from three) and four dimes. Kevin Love chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds, but three of his five made field goals came from deep as his low-post production failed to match impressive Game 1 heights. 

All five Pistons starters finished in double figures; however, that factoid is misleading without appropriate context.

While Andre Drummond (20 points, seven rebounds), Reggie Jackson (14 points, six assists) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13 points), each shot better than 40 percent from the field, Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris converted 3-of-11 and 2-of-10 shots, respectively, as the Pistons offense floundered following a strong first half. 

The Pistons dropped 53 points over the game's first 24 minutes despite regressing to the tune of 3-of-10 shooting from three, and the Cavaliers committed 16 personal fouls during that span to exacerbate their own problems. 

Now, some of those fouls were purposeful hacks on Drummond, who accounted for nine of Detroit's 10 misses from the free-throw line in the first half. However, Cleveland was regularly shredded inside the arc and failed to protect the rim—especially when Love played the 5 as part of the Cavs' small-ball scheme, as the Washington Post's Tim Bontemps observed:  

All told, the Pistons shot 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) on two-point shots in the first half as Drummond pounded away in the post and Jackson glided to the rim at will. 

But Cleveland had no problem counterpunching. 

Irving kept the Cavaliers offense afloat in the first quarter by scoring 13 of the team's first 15 points, and reinforcements arrived in the second frame when James emerged from hibernation. 

After scoring just two points in the opening period, LeBron closed the half with 16 points as he repeatedly bullied Detroit's younger, smaller defenders (sorry, Reggie Bullock) below the free-throw line. 

Through two playoff games, James has now scored 28 first-half points on 14-of-20 shooting in the paint and zero points on 0-of-2 shooting outside of it, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

And while James largely did the majority of his damage inside, Smith provided the offense with balance by nearly melting the nets at Quicken Loans Arena with his hot outside shooting, as NBA.com/Stats documented:

Smith drilled a pair of treys in the third quarter to help the Cavaliers push their lead to 14 points entering the final frame, and those buckets played a role in turning the tide of Game 2—and perhaps the series. 

Cleveland spaced the floor beautifully throughout the third quarter to the tune of a 27-15 scoring advantage, and its defensive intensity ramped up in conjunction with the influx of buckets.

With a comfortable cushion, the Cavaliers were able to coast from that point on. And now, according to WhoWins.com, they have a 94.1 percent chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals after taking a 2-0 series lead. 

Winning two straight in the Motor City won't be easy, especially after Cleveland went 1-1 at The Palace of Auburn Hills during the regular season, but star power has clearly set the Cavaliers apart from the Pistons. 

The Pistons have the look of a legitimate Eastern Conference up-and-comer, to be sure. But at this stage in their evolution, winning four of five against a LeBron-led team resides outside the realm of possibility, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

Stealing one game at home a la the 2010-11 Philadelphia 76ers against James' Miami Heat juggernaut would be a respectable result at this stage, though.  

So as the postseason descends on Michigan for the first time since 2009, the Pistons figure to be looking for silver linings, while the Cavaliers will seek to squash their pesky foes in expedient fashion and in turn facilitate some more rest prior to Round 2. 

Postgame Reaction

Following the win, James took time to discuss how the Cavaliers were able to build a 2-0 series lead with TNT's Craig Sager, per NBA TV on Twitter: 

But once both teams retreated back to their separate quarters, the Pistons began to seethe just a bit. 

First, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy tossed a bit of shade the Cavs' way when discussing their tactical adjustments, per the Detroit News' Rod Beard:  

Then, with frustration evidently boiling over, rookie Stanley Johnson unleashed a flurry of verbal jabs in James' direction. 

"I'm definitely in his head," he said, according to ESPN.com's Nick Friedell. "That's for sure."

"I wish he would just talk when [the game] is 0-0, not when he's up 16," the rookie added, per Friedell. 

Finally, Johnson relayed the following message, according to Friedell: "He jabbers. He moves his mouth sometimes. Their whole team does, kind of like their little cheerleaders on the bench."

But when James hit the postgame podium, the focus was all on Cleveland's superlative display from beyond the arc. 

"We have shooters and they are designated snipers and I'm not one of them," James said, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "I'm more like a tank or something like that."

Now facing a 2-0 deficit, the Pistons know they need to rebound in front of their home crowd when Game 3 rolls around. 

"We got to get ready for the game on Friday...we need this one," Drummond said, per the Pistons' official Twitter account.