Cavaliers win Game 7, head to Detroit

Cleveland’s playoff path got a lot more interesting on Sunday night. The Cavaliers beat the Raptors 114-102 in Game 7, closed out a tense first(nba.com)s not some quiet bracket fill-in — it’s a battle-tested No. 4 seed walking into the building of the East’s top seed after surviving the hardest kind of game there is. Game 1 is Tuesday, May 5, in Detroit. (espn.ph) ### How did Cleveland get he(cbssports.com) the first half, got level by halftime, then took control after the break and won by 12. That kind of arc matters — this was not a wire-to-wire cruise. It was a game where Cleveland had to settle down, find its pressure points, and close. (espn.ph) ### Who swung Game 7? Jarrett Allen was the biggest reason the series ended Sunday. He p(espn.ph)ebounding is the louder part of the stat line — Allen kept possessions alive for Cleveland and cut off second chances for Toronto. (cbssports.com) ### Was this just Allen? No — but Allen was the cleanest symbol of what Cleveland did well. ESPN’s recap pointed to Donovan Mitchell cat(espn.ph) big man controlling the glass. Basically, the Cavs won with a combination every playoff team wants in a Game 7 — half-court scoring and possession dominance. (espn.ph) ### Why does Detroit make this different? Detroit is not wai(cbssports.com)ut of a Game 7 on Sunday after beating Orlando 116-94 and finishing a 3-1 comeback in that series. So this next round is unusual in one useful way — neither team is easing in. Both just had to prove something under pressure. (cbssports.com) ### What does the schedule look like? The series starts fast. Game 1 is set for Tuesday, May 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET(espn.ph)ames 3 and 4 on May 9 and May 11. That quick turnaround is the catch — Cleveland had one day to go from surviving Toronto to preparing for the conference’s top seed on the road. (nba.com) ### So what changed in the bracket? The East bracket stopped being theoretical and got a real personality. Instead of a cleaner path for Detroit (cbssports.com)e problem. Cleveland, meanwhile, goes from first-round uncertainty to a second-round shot with momentum and a clear proof point: it can absorb pressure and still find a higher level late. (cbssports.com) ### What should you watch first? Start with the battle between Detroit’s edge as the 1-seed and Cleveland’s confidence after Sunday. The Cavs (nba.com)metimes that matters more. A Game 7 can drain a team — but it can also clarify exactly who it is. (nba.com) ### Bottom line Cleveland didn’t just advance. The Cavs survived a real playoff test, got a huge night from Allen, and earned a second-round series that now feels a lot less predictable than the seeding says. (cbssports.com)