Cleveland enters this game fundamentally crippled on the offensive end. James Harden's absence removes not just 22.8 PPG but an elite playmaker averaging 7.0 assists and 41% from three over his last five games—offensive gravity that forces defenses to respect the perimeter. Donovan Mitchell's injury removes the secondary shot-creator Cleveland desperately needs to maintain floor spacing. Together, these absences represent roughly 50 points of combined creation and scoring that no role player can realistically replace. Detroit's defense, designed around interior dominance and perimeter discipline, is now facing exactly the scenario they're built to punish: a spacing-less opponent forced to operate exclusively through pick-and-roll with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the post. The matchup advantages heavily favor Detroit across multiple dimensions. Cade Cunningham (29 points vs. Oklahoma City recently) operates freely against a Cleveland perimeter defense now missing Mitchell's energy. Tobias Harris, shooting 60.6% from the field and 100% from the free throw line over his last five games, creates spacing that forces Allen and Mobley into awkward perimeter defense, opening driving lanes. Jalen Duren anchors the paint with rim-running dominance that Cleveland cannot match, and Ausar Thompson's recent defensive activity (2.0 steals, 1.2 blocks per game last five) will...