Cleveland beats Pistons 125-94

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed out the Detroit Pistons 125-94 on Sunday, May 17, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Little Caesars Arena. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill added 23 each, and Cleveland won the series 4-3. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018, according to the NBA and game reports. They will face the third-seeded New York Knicks, with Game 1 set for Tuesday in New York. ### How decisive was Game 7? Cleveland led 31-22 after the first quarter, 64-47 at halftime and 99-73 after the third, according to the NBA box score. The Cavaliers shot 50.6% from the field and outscored Detroit 58-34 in the paint, while the Pistons shot 35.3% and committed 14 turnovers. The 31-point margin was built without late drama. Mitchell had eight assists and six rebounds, Evan Mobley finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Cleveland had 31 assists on 43 made field goals. (nba.com) Detroit never got closer after Cleveland answered the Pistons’ brief second-quarter push with a 24-9 run, according to the Associated Press game report carried by CBS Sports. ### Which Cavaliers drove the win? Mitchell led Cleveland in scoring with 26 points in 31 minutes. Allen scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Merrill hit five 3-pointers and also scored 23. Mobley added 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Cleveland’s balance showed across the rotation. Max Strus had nine points and three steals, James Harden had nine points and six assists, and Dennis Schröder added three assists off the bench. (nba.com) The Cavaliers finished with 50 rebounds to Detroit’s 41 and posted a plus-31 point differential in the official box score. ### What went wrong for Detroit? (nba.com) Cade Cunningham scored 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. Daniss Jenkins led Detroit with 17 points, while Duncan Robinson also scored 13 and Tobias Harris was held to five points on 0-for-6 shooting from the field. Cunningham said after the loss, “That game sucked,” according to the Associated Press. (nba.com) He said the defeat reminded him of losing on home court a year earlier and added that it was “not a great feeling.” The Pistons, the East’s top seed, fell one win short of their first conference finals appearance since 2008. ### What did Cleveland say after advancing? Mitchell said the Cavaliers had not set their goal at simply reaching the conference finals. “We’re just one step closer,” he said, according to the Associated Press, adding that the team would have only a short time to celebrate before turning to the next series. Kenny Atkinson said Cleveland’s “force on both ends” was the difference from Game 6, when Detroit had extended the series. (cbssports.com) Atkinson said the Cavaliers were “really hard to beat” when they played that way, according to the Associated Press report. ### When does the Knicks series start? The NBA playoff bracket lists Cavaliers-Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, and Cleveland-area schedule reports said Game 1 is Tuesday, May 19, at Madison Square Garden. (cbssports.com) The Knicks swept Philadelphia 4-0 in the other East semifinal series and hold home-court advantage as the higher seed. Tuesday’s opener will begin Cleveland’s first conference finals appearance in eight years. (cbssports.com) The winner of Cavaliers-Knicks will advance to the NBA Finals, where the Western Conference champion will be either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs, according to the NBA playoff bracket. (nba.com)