Pistons stave off elimination, force Game 7 with May 15 win over Cavaliers

The Detroit Pistons kept their season alive on May 15 with a 115-94 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, sending their Eastern Conference semifinal to a Game 7. NBA.com lists the series at 3-3, with the deciding game set for May 17 at 8 p.m. ET in Detroit on Prime Video. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 21 points in Game 6, and Jalen Duren added 15 points and 11 rebounds, according to NBA.com’s recap feed. The result erased Cleveland’s chance to close the series at home and extended a matchup that has swung sharply since Detroit opened with a 2-0 lead. The series winner will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff page says Detroit and Cleveland will play for that berth on Sunday night. ### How did Detroit get here after nearly closing the series early? Detroit won the first two games of the series, 111-101 on May 5 and 107-97 on May 7, before Cleveland answered with three straight victories. (api-hub.nba.com) NBA.com’s series page shows the Cavaliers took Game 3 by seven points, Game 4 by nine, and Game 5 by a 117-113 overtime margin to move within one win of advancing. (nba.com) Game 5 was the pivot point in the series standings. NBA.com’s live recap said James Harden scored 30 points in that overtime win for Cleveland, giving the Cavaliers a 3-2 lead before Friday’s return to Rocket Arena. ### What stands out most about the Pistons’ Game 6 response? (nba.com) The 21-point final margin was Detroit’s largest of the series. NBA.com’s game summary lists the Pistons as 115-94 winners, and its playoff recap identified Cunningham and Duren as the leaders in the victory that tied the matchup. NBA.com also said the win was Detroit’s fourth while facing elimination in the 2026 playoffs. (nba.com) The league’s live blog described that total as the second-most all time by a No. 1 seed. That elimination record reaches back to the first round. NBA.com’s April 30 recap said Cunningham scored 19 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter of a Game 6 comeback against Orlando, forcing a Game 7 in that series as well. (nba.com) ### Who has set the tone across the matchup? (nba.com) Cade Cunningham has been Detroit’s steadiest producer through six games. NBA.com lists him as averaging 25.7 points and 8.3 assists in the series entering Game 7. Donovan Mitchell has led Cleveland’s scoring at 28.5 points per game, according to the same NBA.com series page. The matchup has also featured major swings from game to game, with Harden’s 30-point Game 5 standing out for Cleveland and Duren’s double-double helping Detroit extend the series. (nba.com) ### What exactly is at stake on May 17? (nba.com) May 17 is a win-or-go-home date for both teams. NBA.com says Game 7 will be played in Detroit, where the winner advances to meet the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. ESPN’s schedule page and NBA.com’s playoff bracket both list the game for Sunday night. Prime Video is carrying the broadcast, according to the league playoff page. (nba.com) The next concrete step is simple: Detroit and Cleveland play Game 7 on May 17 at 8 p.m. ET, and the winner moves on to face New York in the conference finals. (espn.com) (nba.com)