Pistons rally to beat Cavaliers in Game 6, force decisive Game 7 on May 17

Detroit kept its season alive on May 15 with a 115-94 road win over Cleveland in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The result tied the series 3-3 and sent it back to Little Caesars Arena for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. NBA playoff listings show the winner will move on to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. ### How did Detroit flip an elimination game into a 21-point win? Detroit shot 52.4% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range in Game 6, according to NBA.com’s box score. The Pistons finished with 16 made 3-pointers, 43 rebounds and 25 assists, and they held Cleveland to 94 points. Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and added eight assists, while Jalen Duren had 15 points and 11 rebounds. (nba.com) Detroit also got 17 points from Paul Reed, 15 from Daniss Jenkins and 14 from Duncan Robinson, numbers that gave the Pistons scoring depth beyond their top options. ### Which numbers told the story for Cleveland? (nba.com) Cleveland shot 32 for 75 from the field, or 42.7%, and committed 19 turnovers in the loss. Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting, and James Harden led the Cavaliers with 23 points but also had eight turnovers. The Cavaliers got 18 points from Evan Mobley and 13 points with eight rebounds from Jarrett Allen, but the rest of the rotation did not close the gap. (nba.com) Max Strus shot 2 for 9, Dennis Schröder went scoreless in 15 minutes, and Cleveland never matched Detroit’s bench production. ### Where did the game turn? (nba.com) Detroit led 31-28 after the first quarter and stretched the margin to 57-45 by halftime. The Pistons then won the third quarter 31-23, pushing the lead to 20 entering the fourth and leaving Cleveland without a late rally. The 21-point final margin matched Detroit’s control through most of the night. (nba.com) NBA.com’s game page listed a plus-27 for Marcus Sasser in 18 minutes and a plus-13 for Cunningham, while Cleveland’s starters all finished in negative territory. ### What does the series look like going into Sunday? (nba.com) NBA playoff records show Detroit won the first two games of the series before Cleveland answered with three straight victories, including a 117-113 overtime win in Game 5. Game 6 reversed that run and left both teams at 3-3. The same NBA playoff page lists Cunningham as Detroit’s series leader at 25.7 points and 8.3 assists per game, while Mitchell is Cleveland’s top scorer at 28.5 points per game through six games. (nba.com) Those numbers frame the matchup heading into the decider in Detroit. ### When is Game 7, and what is at stake? (nba.com) Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 8 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, according to NBA.com’s playoff bracket page. Prime Video is listed as the broadcaster. The winner of Pistons-Cavaliers will advance to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals next week, according to the playoff bracket. (nba.com) Sunday’s game will decide whether Detroit completes its recovery from a 3-2 deficit or Cleveland regains the series after letting Game 6 slip away.