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The NBA Belt · rivalry

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

29Belt meetings
17Cavaliers wins
12Pistons wins
9Title changes

Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons have met 29 times with the NBA belt on the line, from December 1, 1972 to May 17, 2026. The belt changed hands in 9 of those games. Cleveland Cavaliers lead the belt series 17–12.

Belt gameDateResult
2,250Dec 1, 1972Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 114–113Defense
2,451Jan 19, 1975Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 100–98Defense
2,554Jan 27, 1976Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 85–83Defense
2,621Nov 10, 1976Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 123–112Defense
2,815Dec 12, 1978Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 127–110Defense
3,596Nov 22, 1986Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 93–84Defense
3,599Dec 4, 1986Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 113–105Title change
3,823Feb 28, 1989Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 115–99Defense
3,825Mar 3, 1989Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 96–90Title change
3,953Nov 3, 1990Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 106–97Defense
4,730Mar 27, 1998Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 88–87Title change
4,733Apr 1, 1998Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 92–90Defense
5,493Apr 12, 2006Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 96–73Title change
5,697Apr 16, 2008Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 84–74Defense
5,731Nov 19, 2008Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 96–89Title change
5,792Mar 31, 2009Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 79–73Defense
5,887Mar 16, 2010Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 113–101Defense
5,890Mar 21, 2010Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 104–79Defense
6,285Feb 12, 2014Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 93–89Title change
6,305Mar 26, 2014Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 97–96Defense
6,359Jan 27, 2015Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 103–95Defense
7,095Mar 19, 2022Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 113–109Defense
7,514May 5, 2026Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 111–101 PlayoffsDefense
7,515May 7, 2026Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 107–97 PlayoffsDefense
7,516May 9, 2026Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 116–109 PlayoffsTitle change
7,517May 11, 2026Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 112–103 PlayoffsDefense
7,518May 13, 2026Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 117–113 (OT) PlayoffsDefense
7,519May 15, 2026Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland Cavaliers 115–94 PlayoffsTitle change
7,520May 17, 2026Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 125–94 PlayoffsTitle change

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