Series tied 3-3 — Cavaliers and Pistons set for decisive Game 7

The Detroit Pistons pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a winner-take-all Game 7 with a 115-94 road win on Friday, May 15, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Cade Cunningham scored 21 points, and Detroit used a dominant second half to even the series at 3-3, according to NBA.com and The Associated Press. The result sent the series back to Detroit for Sunday night's decider. The winner will meet the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, the NBA's playoff schedule shows. ### How did Detroit force a seventh game? Detroit erased Cleveland's chance to close the series by controlling the second half at Rocket Arena. NBA.com listed the final score at 115-94 and said the series was tied 3-3 after six games. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 21 points, while Jalen Duren added 15 points and 11 rebounds, according to the game recap on NBA.com. Daniss Jenkins also scored 15 points, and Detroit's bench outscored Cleveland's reserves 48-19. J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit's coach, said the Pistons relied on their defense and physical play. "We did what needed to be done," Bickerstaff said after the game, according to NBA.com. "When we're at our best, it's the defense and the physicality that's going to carry us." ### What made the Game 6 result stand out? The Pistons' 21-point margin matched a 66-year-old NBA playoff mark for the largest Game 6 road win by a team trailing 3-2 in a series, NBA.com said. The site said the St. Louis Hawks beat the Minneapolis Lakers 117-96 in the 1960 West Division finals by the same margin. Detroit also hit 16 of 36 shots from 3-point range, according to NBA.com. Cunningham made five 3-pointers, and Duncan Robinson, who returned after missing Game 5 with a lower back injury, made four off the bench and scored 14 points. The Pistons have now won four elimination games this postseason, NBA.com said. The recap noted Detroit had trailed Orlando 3-1 in the first round before winning three straight to advance. ### Where did Cleveland's closeout bid break down? Cleveland scored 94 points, its lowest total of the series, in the loss on May 15. NBA.com said Detroit dominated the second half and limited the Cavaliers after halftime. Donovan Mitchell hit a late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, but Cleveland never mounted a serious comeback after Detroit built separation. The NBA summary did not list a Cleveland player with more than the 35 points Mitchell had scored in Game 3, underscoring how much the Cavaliers' offense fell off from earlier in the series. Friday's defeat came two days after Cleveland had moved ahead 3-2 with a 117-113 overtime win in Game 5, according to the NBA playoff schedule. Instead of closing out the matchup at home, the Cavaliers now have to win on the road in the deciding game. ### When and where is Game 7? Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern in Detroit, according to NBA.com. The league's playoff schedule lists the game as Cleveland at Detroit and says Prime Video will carry the broadcast. The series opened with Detroit winning the first two games before Cleveland answered with three straight victories, the NBA schedule shows. Detroit's Game 6 win reset the matchup and sent it to a final game. ### What is at stake beyond this series? The NBA's playoff bracket shows the Game 7 winner will advance to the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. New York already completed its semifinal series and is waiting for either Detroit or Cleveland, according to the league schedule. The conference finals bracket lists DET/CLE vs. New York as the next matchup in the East. Sunday night's result in Detroit will decide which team moves on and which season ends.