Daniss Jenkins helped set the tone after the Detroit Pistons delivered a decisive second-half surge to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Rocket Arena on Friday. The performance forced a winner-take-all Game 7 in Detroit.
Jenkins, who finished with 15 points, pointed to execution and defensive discipline as the foundation of the turnaround. “I think we came out different than like I said last time we didn’t execute down the stretch. This time we came out and we executed. We didn’t have no lapse. We didn’t have no my badge. And we came out and dominated like we were supposed to. ”
Detroit’s ability to respond after previous late-game struggles was central to the win, with Jenkins emphasizing the group’s mentality in pressure moments. “I mean, honestly, I just think you got to look at the backgrounds of this group. I’m not supposed to be in this position according to everybody in the league. So I just think we just special man. You know what I mean? Like we just want to defy all the odds. Like we’re not taking nothing from nobody. You know what I mean? We know it’s us against the world. So we just try to come out and bind together and bond together. We family, you know what I mean? So we just try to come out and we going to fight.”
The Pistons’ depth was again a deciding factor, with contributions across the rotation complementing Cade Cunningham’s 21 points and Paul Reed’s 17. Jenkins highlighted the shared responsibility across the roster. “Yeah, we’ve been doing that this whole year. You know what I mean? It’s just about trying to it’s not my job. But you know coach job is tough. We got a team full of guys that can contribute to winning. So he just trying to figure out how to factor everybody in. But we know whoever step out there can help us win.”
He also pointed to Marcus Sasser’s impact as a key swing factor off the bench. “We’ve been talking about it all series. Like y’all know that’s my dog. So we talk all the time. And I just told him, I know it’s a lot of shots out there and he’s a great shooter and he can help space the floor. So I knew when he got out there I just kept telling him to be you. You know what I mean? Like, don’t defer to nobody. Don’t look at us. Don’t look at none of us. Just go out there and be you.”
Jenkins also credited Jalen Duren and Paul Reed for setting the tone physically. “I think his energy and spirit was right. That’s all I kept telling him, especially after last game. You know what I’m saying? Just keep your energy and spirit right and God going to bless you. So that’s all he did.”
With Game 7 looming, Jenkins leaned on preparation and resilience as the deciding factors. “We know that Detroit going to be rocking the energy going to be there. And like you said we just came from a game seven and so did they. But it’s just about the better man. The best man. May the best man win.”
The series now shifts back to Detroit, where both teams will enter Game 7 after splitting six tightly contested battles.
