Cleveland wins Game 7 in Detroit, advances to Eastern Conference finals

Cleveland closed out Detroit with a 125-94 win in Game 7 on Monday, May 18, at Little Caesars Arena, sending the Cavaliers into the Eastern Conference finals. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, and Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill added 23 apiece as the Cavaliers pulled away early and never let Detroit back into the game. The result completed Cleveland’s upset of the top-seeded Pistons and set a conference finals meeting with the New York Knicks. ESPN said the Eastern Conference finals begin Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on its networks, with the NBA Finals scheduled to start June 3 on ABC. ### How decisive was Game 7 in Detroit? Cleveland led 31-22 after the first quarter and 64-47 at halftime, then stretched the margin further in the third quarter on the way to a 31-point win. The Cavaliers shot 43-for-85 from the field, while Detroit finished 30-for-85. Detroit entered the game as the No. 1 seed and had home court, but the Pistons could not keep pace offensively. (cleveland.com) The final score made it one of the most lopsided outcomes of the second round and ended Detroit’s season on its home floor. ### Which Cavaliers drove the result? (365scores.com) Donovan Mitchell finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists without a turnover, according to cleveland.com’s game report. Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scored 23 points, giving Cleveland three players above 20 in the clincher. (freep.com) Cleveland also got balanced production across the lineup in a game that was effectively decided well before the final minutes. Four Cavaliers scored at least 20 points, cleveland.com reported, underscoring how little Detroit could do to slow Cleveland’s offense once the game opened up. (cleveland.com) ### What did the win change in the playoff bracket? The victory moved Cleveland into the NBA’s final four and completed the Eastern Conference finals matchup against New York. CBS Sports and ESPN’s schedule pages listed the remaining series as Cavaliers-Knicks in the East and Spurs-Thunder in the West. (cleveland.com) The conference finals began this week, leaving four teams still alive in the postseason. NBA.com said the 2026 NBA Finals are scheduled to tip off on June 3, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster. ### When do the Cavaliers and Knicks play next? ESPN’s press release said Cleveland and New York open the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. (espn.com) ET on ESPN. The network said Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler and Lisa Salters will work the series. (nba.com) Local schedule reports also listed Game 1 on Tuesday night, with the best-of-seven series shifting the Cavaliers immediately from a Game 7 road elimination game into the next round without extra days off. ### What comes after the conference finals? The NBA Finals are set to begin on Wednesday, June 3, according to NBA.com. (espnpressroom.com) ABC will carry the series exclusively, the league said. For Cleveland, the next step is fixed: New York on Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. For the league, the bracket is now down to four teams, with the Eastern champion to come from the Cavaliers-Knicks series. (wkbn.com) (espnpressroom.com) (nba.com)