Pistons force Game 7 vs Cavaliers

The Detroit Pistons extended their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday, May 15, with a 115-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6. Detroit tied the best-of-seven matchup at 3-3 and sent it back to Little Caesars Arena for a deciding Game 7 on Sunday, May 17. Jalen Duren delivered 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Cade Cunningham added 21 points as the Pistons pulled away in the second half. Cleveland had entered Friday one win from advancing. ### How did Detroit push the series to a seventh game? Detroit turned the game after halftime and held Cleveland to 39 second-half points in the 21-point win. The Pistons outscored the Cavaliers by double digits after the break, according to the Associated Press game report and the series schedule published Saturday. (apnews.com) Friday’s result continued a series swing that has gone from Detroit taking the first two games to Cleveland winning the next three. The Game 6 loss left the Cavaliers unable to close out the series at home, and the matchup will now be decided in Detroit on Sunday. (apnews.com) ### What did Jalen Duren do differently in Game 6? Jalen Duren led Detroit with 21 points and 13 rebounds, his strongest box-score line of the series based on available game reports. The Pistons center gave Detroit interior scoring and rebounding after Cleveland had controlled key stretches of Games 4 and 5. (sportingnews.com) Cade Cunningham matched Duren with 21 points, giving Detroit two primary scorers on a night when it needed to avoid elimination. The Associated Press report said Detroit dominated the second half, and Duren’s production was central to that response. ### How far away were the Cavaliers from ending this? (apnews.com) Cleveland entered Friday with a 3-2 series lead after a 117-113 overtime win in Game 5 on May 13. That gave the Cavaliers their first chance to eliminate Detroit, but the Pistons answered with their largest margin of victory of the series. (apnews.com) The Cavaliers had won Games 3, 4 and 5 after dropping the first two games of the matchup. Friday’s defeat broke that run and denied Cleveland a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. ### Where did the series stand before Friday night? (sportingnews.com) Detroit had opened the second round by winning Game 1, 111-101, and Game 2, 107-97. Cleveland then responded with wins of 116-109 in Game 3, 112-103 in Game 4 and 117-113 in overtime in Game 5 before the Pistons took Game 6, 115-94. (sportingnews.com) The schedule listed the series as tied 3-3 after Friday’s game. NBA.com also lists the May 15 matchup as Detroit versus Cleveland in Game 6 of the playoff series. ### What happens in Game 7, and when can fans watch it? Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, in Detroit. Sporting News listed the start time as either 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. (sportingnews.com) Eastern, with Prime Video carrying the broadcast. The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, according to the user-provided context and published series schedule reports. (nba.com) Detroit and Cleveland will decide that berth at Little Caesars Arena on May 17. (sportingnews.com)