Donovan Mitchell says he might have to start flopping against Pistons

The answer came quickly to Ausar Thompson. What did he like about the way the Pistons played defense in their Game 1 win over the Cavs?

"I feel like we didn't let them shoot that many free throws," Thompson said. "I could be wrong, but I don't remember that many free throws being shot. We were defending without fouling."

Thompson was right. The Cavaliers had more turnovers than free throw attempts Tuesday night, a tribute to the Pistons' swarming but disciplined defense.

"Just ball pressure," said Cade Cunningham, "and playing our system."

Cleveland averaged about 24 free throw attempts per game this season. They got to the line just 16 times in Game 1 in Detroit, compared to 35 for the Pistons. It did not sit well with Cavs point guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 23 points but went just 1-for-2 from the line.

Mitchell was not looking for excuses. He was quick to note after the Pistons' 111-101 win -- a game that was tied at 93 with five minutes to go -- that "the free throw disparity is not why we lost tonight. I want to make sure I say that." But he also sounded out of answers about his inability to get to the line.

Mitchell attempted just 16 free throws in Cleveland's seven-game series win over the Raptors in Round 1.

"A friend of mine got fined for taking about flopping so I’m not gonna try to double down, but I mean, I feel like that’s what I gotta do at this point," Mitchell said. "I’m trying to get downhill, trying to get to the bucket and sometimes there’s people in my way and I’m trying to fight through contact and I'm not getting these calls. I had, what, 16 free throws in the last series? I’m just not getting the calls. I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why."

Jaylen Brown of the Celtics was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for accusing 76ers star Joel Embiid of flopping and for claiming the officials had "an agenda against me" in Boston's Round 1 loss to Philadelphia.

Mitchell went on to say that the lack of calls in his favor around the basket is "frustrating a little bit because I’m such a dynamic driver. But I can’t control that. If they’re not going to call it for me, I gotta find a way to finish through that."

"But you know me, I'm never one to sit here and complain, and that’s not why we lost the game tonight," he said. "But at some point in time, I feel like me getting to the basket’s gotta relate to something (at the free throw line). So, we’ll see."

J.B. Bickerstaff, meanwhile, was very pleased with Detroit's defense in Game 1. The Pistons not only forced 20 turnovers, but turned them into 31 points: "That’s who we are defensively. That’s what our physicality does to people. It puts them in tight spots and then they gotta make great plays in tight spots."

"The aim is to wear you down as much as we possibly can," Bickertsaff said. "We want to be as physical with you as we can, we want to put our body on you as much as we can, pick you up full court as much as we can. It’s about a series. It’s not just one game. And there’s quick turnarounds. So now, can we force your legs to be a little bit heavy because we’re putting that weight on you, we’re putting that pressure on you, and see if we can wear you down over a series?

"But it’s not over. We know this is going to be a long, tough series for us, but we gotta know and believe in our system and who we are, that we can sustain it and continue that physicality. And tonight I thought we did a great job of keeping them off the free throw line while being physical, too."