Pistons force Game 7 with 115–94 win over Cavaliers

Detroit kept its season alive on May 15 with a 115-94 road win over Cleveland in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The result tied the series 3-3 and sent it back to Detroit for a deciding Game 7, according to NBA.com. Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and added eight assists, and Detroit shot 52.4% from the field. Cleveland, which had won three straight games to take a 3-2 series lead, shot 39.0% and committed 20 turnovers. ### How did Detroit turn an elimination game into a 21-point win? Detroit built the margin with balance more than one scorer. Five Pistons finished in double figures, led by Cunningham’s 21 points, Jalen Duren’s 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Daniss Jenkins’ 15 points, according to the official box score. Duncan Robinson added 14 points, and Paul Reed scored 17 in 16 minutes off the bench. The Pistons also made 16 of 36 3-point attempts, good for 44.4%, while Cleveland hit 12 of 35 from long range. Detroit finished with a 43-40 rebounding edge and 25 assists on 43 field goals, NBA.com said. ### Which number best explains the game? The bench scoring was one of the clearest separators. Detroit’s reserves outscored Cleveland’s bench 48-13 before deep reserve minutes at the end, with Reed, Robinson and Marcus Sasser combining for 40 points. Sasser scored nine points in 18 minutes and posted a game-best plus-27. Cleveland’s starters carried most of the offense. James Harden scored 23 points, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley had 18 each, and Jarrett Allen added 13 points and eight rebounds. No Cleveland reserve scored more than 10 points, and Dennis Schröder was held scoreless in 15 minutes. ### Where did the Cavaliers lose control? Cleveland’s offense stalled across the night. The Cavaliers shot 30 for 77 overall and turned the ball over 20 times, compared with 17 for Detroit. Mitchell shot 6 for 20, and Harden had eight turnovers despite leading Cleveland in scoring. The numbers also showed Detroit controlling the paint and the extra-possession game often enough to keep Cleveland from making a sustained run. Duren shot 7 for 10, Reed shot 7 for 9, and Ausar Thompson finished with nine rebounds, four steals and a block. ### Why is Game 7 notable for Detroit? Detroit entered the series as the East’s No. 1 seed and opened with two wins before Cleveland answered with three straight, including a 117-113 overtime victory in Game 5. Friday’s win stopped that slide and gave the Pistons another elimination-game response in these playoffs. NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists Detroit and Cleveland as the last undecided Eastern Conference semifinal. New York has already advanced to the conference finals, where it will face the winner of Game 7. ### When and where is the deciding game? NBA.com lists Game 7 for Sunday, May 17, in Detroit at 8 p.m. Eastern on Prime Video. The league schedule page says the winner will advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference finals. The NBA’s conference finals schedule page lists the East final as Detroit or Cleveland against New York, with dates still to be announced after Game 7.