CLEVELAND Cavaliers punched their ticket to NBA Eastern Conference Finals after crushing the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, 125-94, in Game 7 of their conference semifinals series on Sunday night (Monday in the Philippines) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 26 points as Cleveland completed the upset over the East’s No. 1 seed and secured its first trip to the conference finals since 2018.
Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill contributed 23 markers apiece, while Evan Mobley posted a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who dominated from start to finish on the road.
The Cavaliers quickly took control of the game behind hot shooting and aggressive defense, building a 20-point lead in the opening half while limiting the Pistons’ offense.
“We responded with force for 48 minutes tonight,” said Mitchell. “Especially in a hostile environment… that was that was the biggest thing, is just how do you respond? And not letting the moment become too big.”
The Pistons struggled to recover after trailing 64-47 at halftime. The Cavaliers stretched the lead to 26 entering the fourth quarter, prompting many Detroit fans to leave the arena early.
Detroit, which finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22, failed to sustain its momentum after extending the series with a Game 6 victory.
“That game sucked,” said Pistons star Cade Cunningham. “Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win in front of the fans. Reminded me of last year, losing on home court. It’s not a great feeling.”
The Cavaliers will next face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals beginning Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines). New York advanced after sweeping Philadelphia 76ers in their semifinal series.
“I’m not coming out to be in New York just happy that we got here,” Mitchell said. “They’re going to be rested. We got to come in and continue the momentum, go from there.”/PN
