Cavaliers eliminate Pistons in Game 7, 125-94

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed the second round with their clearest win of the series, beating the Detroit Pistons 125-94 on Sunday, May 17, at Little Caesars Arena to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, and Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill added 23 apiece in Cleveland’s Game 7 rout, according to the NBA and the Associated Press. The loss ended the postseason for top-seeded Detroit, which had forced a deciding game at home but did not recover after Cleveland took control early. The Cavaliers will face the New York Knicks next, with the Eastern Conference finals appearing next on the NBA’s playoff schedule. ### How quickly did Cleveland take over the game? Cleveland built the margin in stages and never let Detroit turn the game into a late-possession contest. The Cavaliers led 31-27 after the first quarter, pushed the advantage to 66-47 by halftime and extended it to 97-75 through three quarters, according to the game summary. The 31-point final margin was the largest gap of the night. (nba.com) Detroit entered the game as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons were outscored in every quarter except the fourth, when the result had already been decided. ### Which Cavaliers delivered the scoring that decided Game 7? (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell finished with 26 points to lead Cleveland, while Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scored 23. The Cavaliers had three players above 20 points in the deciding game, a balance that separated them from a Detroit team that struggled to generate efficient offense. (freep.com) Evan Mobley led Cleveland in rebounds with 12, according to the NBA game summary. The distribution of scoring and rebounding gave Cleveland production across the lineup rather than from a single scorer carrying the offense. ### What went wrong for Detroit’s main scorers? Cade Cunningham scored 13 points for Detroit and shot 5-for-16 from the field, according to the Detroit Free Press game report cited in the card context and supported by postgame coverage. (apnews.com) Tobias Harris scored five points and went 0-for-6, while Jalen Duren had seven points and nine rebounds. (nba.com) Detroit’s offensive problems showed up in both shot-making and support scoring. Cunningham was held well below the 27 points he scored in an earlier game in the series, and Harris did not make a field goal in the elimination game. ### Why was this result notable in the series? Detroit had home court and the top seed, but Cleveland advanced as the No. 4 seed by winning a road Game 7. (freep.com) The Cavaliers also needed a Game 7 in the previous round, according to pregame coverage, and they responded with their most lopsided result of this matchup. (espn.com) The series had been competitive enough to reach a deciding game, which made the final score stand out. Cleveland’s 125 points were its highest total of the series, while Detroit’s 94 were not enough to keep pressure on the Cavaliers after halftime. ### What happens next for Cleveland? The NBA schedule lists Cleveland against New York in the Eastern Conference finals after the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win. (msn.com) USA Today’s playoff bracket preview also listed the Eastern Conference finals beginning Tuesday, May 19, 2026. New York had already advanced before Cleveland finished off Detroit, setting the conference finals matchup. The NBA schedule page shows the Cavaliers-Knicks series as the next step in the East bracket, with game listings extending through a possible Game 7 later in May. (landofbasketball.com) (nba.com)