Donovan Mitchell wins Game 7

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers closed out Detroit’s season with a 125-94 win in Game 7 on Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena, sending Cleveland to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018. Mitchell scored 26 points and added eight assists, and Cleveland led 64-47 at halftime before pulling away in the third quarter, according to NBA.com. Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill scored 23 points each as the Cavaliers won the series 4-3 after trailing 2-0. The Knicks now await Cleveland in the next round, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday in New York. ### How decisive was Game 7 by the numbers? Cleveland’s 31-point margin was the clearest fact of the night. The Cavaliers finished the game at 125-94 and had four players score at least 20 points, according to NBA.com’s live recap of the game. Mitchell led with 26, Allen had 23, Merrill had 23 and Cleveland’s offense kept Detroit from mounting a second-half push. (nba.com) The 64-47 halftime score set the tone before the game turned into a rout. NBA.com’s live update said Cleveland extended the lead to 23 early in the third quarter with an 8-2 run, forcing a Detroit timeout, and later pushed the margin past 30 as both teams began pulling starters in the fourth. ### How did Cleveland recover after falling behind in the series? (nba.com) The series score tells the path Cleveland took. Detroit won the first two games to take a 2-0 lead, but the Cavaliers answered by winning Games 3 and 4 to even the matchup, then took Game 5 in overtime before losing Game 6 and returning to Detroit for the decider. Cleveland’s 125-94 win gave the fourth-seeded Cavaliers a 4-3 series victory over the top-seeded Pistons. (nba.com) Game 5 proved to be the swing point in the series standings. NBA.com’s game summary shows Cleveland won that game 117-113 in overtime, putting the Cavaliers one win from the conference finals before Detroit forced Game 7 with a 115-94 victory in Cleveland on Friday. ### What stood out around the game in Detroit? Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ owner, was cited by NBA.com’s live coverage as part of a visible Cleveland presence inside Little Caesars Arena. (nba.com) NBA.com reported that Gilbert funded about 25 busloads of Cavaliers fans for Game 7, covering tickets and transportation for the trip to Detroit. Little Caesars Arena had hosted another Game 7 win earlier in the postseason. NBA.com’s preview noted that Detroit had gone 32-9 at home in the regular season and had already beaten Orlando at home in a first-round Game 7, but Cleveland reversed that home-court edge in the semifinal decider. ### Who does Cleveland play next? The Knicks are Cleveland’s next opponent in the Eastern Conference finals. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff bracket lists the matchup as No. 3 New York against No. 4 Cleveland after the Knicks advanced by sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 and the Cavaliers eliminated Detroit in seven games. Tuesday is the next concrete date on Cleveland’s schedule. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff page lists the Eastern Conference finals opener for Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, which places Game 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York with the Knicks holding home-court advantage in the series. ### What does the bracket look like from here? The 2026 playoff bracket now has both conference finals set. (nba.com) NBA.com lists Cleveland against New York in the East and Oklahoma City against San Antonio in the West, with the Western Conference finals opening Monday and the NBA Finals scheduled to begin on June 3. June 3 is the next leaguewide milestone after the conference finals begin. (nba.com) NBA.com’s bracket page lists that date for the start of the NBA Finals, with Cleveland now two series wins away from reaching that stage.