Cleveland dominates Detroit Game 7

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed a 4-3 series win over the Detroit Pistons with a 125-94 road victory in Game 7 on May 17, sending the Eastern Conference’s top seed out of the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden led Cleveland’s backcourt, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen controlled the interior in a game that was effectively decided before the final minutes. (nba.com) The win put Cleveland into its first Eastern Conference finals since 2018, according to NBA.com. New York now awaits in a series that begins Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. (espnpressroom.com) ### How lopsided was the Game 7 result? Cleveland won by 31 points at Little Caesars Arena, the largest fact of the night and the number that defined the closeout. Fox Sports listed the final as 125-94, with Mobley finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. NBA.com said the Cavaliers’ starters were pulled with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, a sign of how early the margin had widened. The league recap also described Cleveland’s win as a “lopsided road victory” and said the Cavaliers advanced 4-3. (nba.com) ### Who drove Cleveland’s offense? Donovan Mitchell was the headliner in Cleveland’s series-clinching win, and NBA.com said he and Harden guided the Cavaliers through Game 7. The same recap said Cleveland’s backcourt pairing gave Detroit a difficult matchup problem throughout the series. (foxsports.com) Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen added the frontcourt production that turned the game into a rout. NBA.com said the two combined for 44 points and 19 rebounds, while Fox Sports credited Mobley’s 21-point, 12-rebound, six-assist line as a central part of the result. (nba.com) ### Why was Detroit’s exit notable? Detroit entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East after a 60-22 regular season, according to ESPN’s playoff bracket page. The Pistons had opened the semifinal series by winning the first two games before Cleveland came back to take four of the next five. (nba.com) ESPN also noted that Detroit had already survived one comeback in these playoffs, rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Orlando in the first round. That made the Game 7 loss to Cleveland a sharper reversal for a team that had held home-court advantage and hosted the decider. (nba.com) ### What changed over the course of the series? May 7 and May 9 gave Detroit a 2-0 series lead, with ESPN listing wins of 111-101 in Game 1 and 107-97 in Game 2. Cleveland then stayed alive by taking Game 3 and, according to NBA.com’s Game 7 recap, eventually won the series 4-3. (espn.com) NBA.com’s recap pointed to Cleveland’s roster construction as part of the difference, saying Harden’s presence added experience and another creator next to Mitchell. The same recap said Mobley and Allen were “superb” in Game 7 and that Sam Merrill made five 3-pointers. (espn.com) ### Where does Cleveland go from here? The next game is set for Tuesday, May 19, when Cleveland opens the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Press Room said the series will air on ESPN networks, with Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler and Lisa Salters on the lead broadcast team. (espn.com) The NBA’s official playoff schedule and multiple schedule reports list New York with home-court advantage in the series opener at Madison Square Garden. If the series goes the distance, Game 7 is scheduled for May 31. (heavy.com) (espnpressroom.com) (nba.com)