Cavaliers eliminate Pistons in Game 7, advance to Eastern Conference finals

The Cleveland Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference finals on May 18 with a 125-94 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 7, closing out the second-round series 4-3. Cleveland took control early on Detroit’s home floor and never let the top-seeded Pistons back into the game, according to Yahoo Sports and NBA.com. The result sends the Cavaliers into a conference finals matchup with the New York Knicks. (sports.yahoo.com) ESPN said Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET. ### How decisive was Game 7? The 31-point margin made the close of the series look nothing like the tension of a winner-take-all game. Cleveland won 125-94 in Detroit, with Yahoo Sports describing the Pistons as never mounting a serious challenge after the Cavaliers seized the game early. (espnpressroom.com) The 4-3 series result mattered because Detroit entered the matchup as the No. 1 seed in the East, while Cleveland advanced as the team that survived the road Game 7. USA Today and Yahoo Sports both reported that the Cavaliers’ win completed the bracket in the East and sent Detroit into the offseason. ### Who drove Cleveland’s win? (sports.yahoo.com) Donovan Mitchell was central to the Cavaliers’ Game 7 breakthrough. Yahoo Sports and other game coverage identified Mitchell as a key force in the blowout, while additional reports highlighted support from Cleveland’s frontcourt and bench. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill were also cited across postgame coverage as major contributors in the rout. (sports.yahoo.com) Yahoo’s coverage said Cleveland “punched first” and kept Detroit down, while separate reports pointed to Allen, Mobley and Merrill as part of the group that powered the Cavaliers through the clincher. (usatoday.com) ### What happened to Detroit? Detroit’s season ended at home after earning the East’s top seed, a result Yahoo Sports called a flat finish for a team that failed to advance out of the second round. MLive described the elimination as the end of the franchise’s best season in nearly 20 years. (sports.yahoo.com) The Pistons’ exit also left Cleveland as the final East team standing opposite New York. PennLive and NorthJersey.com reported that the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win completed the conference finals field and confirmed that the Knicks would open the series with home-court advantage. ### What comes next for Cleveland? (sports.yahoo.com) ESPN Press Room said the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Cavaliers and Knicks will air exclusively on ESPN networks. The series begins Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler and Lisa Salters assigned to the coverage. (sports.yahoo.com) The next step is immediate. Cleveland moves from a Game 7 road win on May 18 into Game 1 against New York on May 19, with the winner of the series advancing to the NBA Finals, which ESPN said are scheduled to begin June 3 on ABC. (espnpressroom.com) (pennlive.com)