Despite James Harden not making a single field goal, the remaining Cavaliers stars turned up in the decisive game. The Pistons’ weaknesses became most apparent at the most crucial moment of the NBA Playoffs.
The Cavaliers’ deepest playoff run since LeBron’s departure in the 2017/18 season is complete! For the ninth time in their history, the Cavs are in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland controlled everything from the start in Detroit and convincingly eliminated the Pistons.
Detroit Pistons (E1) — Cleveland Cavaliers (E4) 94:125 — Series: 3-4
The first possession set the tone for the evening. Donovan Mitchell dished out one of his eight assists, finding Evan Mobley for an alley-oop dunk. Detroit managed a brief response on the other end with Daniss Jenkins hitting a three-pointer to make it 3-2, their only lead of the entire game.
Mitchell continued to throw lobs, and the Cavs recorded eleven assists by the end of the first quarter, leading 31-22. In the second quarter, Head Coach Kenny Atkinson’s squad continued to roll, while the Pistons desperately searched for their offense. By halftime, Detroit trailed by 17 points (47-64). Only the Phoenix Suns, who were down by 30 points at halftime to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in 2022, had a larger deficit after two quarters in a Game 7 on their home court.
It didn’t get any closer. At one point, the Cavs extended their lead to +35. Pistons Coach J.B. Bickerstaff threw in the towel with 5:51 remaining, pulling star player Cade Cunningham. The Cavaliers soon followed by resting their starters and coasting to victory.
‘It was really bad’: Cunningham and the Pistons with a horror offensive performance
‘The game was really bad,’ Cunningham said critically of his own performance. The Pistons shot a dismal 35 percent from the field, while the Cavaliers hit every second attempt. In the paint, Cunningham’s team was completely outmatched (34-58).
The point guard himself delivered his worst playoff performance to date in the crucial Game 7. With only 13 points (5/16 FG, 0/7 3FG), he was 16 points below his postseason average. Along with Duncan Robinson, who once again came off the bench, he was the second-highest scorer for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Only Daniss Jenkins, with 17 points, outscored them, though his shooting percentages were also unimpressive (4/12 FG, 2/7 3FG).
Tobias Harris, who often served as the second offensive option successfully in the playoffs, missed all six of his field-goal attempts, scoring all five of his points from the free-throw line. Jalen Duren, who had a respectable outing in Game 6, likely cost himself millions with a meager seven points (3/7 FG) in Game 7. Ausar Thompson, as usual, was not a factor offensively, scoring only five points.
‘Spida’ shines for his first career Conference Finals appearance
While not a single Detroit player reached the 20-point mark, four Cavaliers players surpassed that milestone. Mitchell led the scoring with 26 points (10/22 FG, 2/6 3FG). ‘Spida’ particularly heated up in the third quarter, scoring 15 points (6/8 FG) and securing an early end to his first-ever second-round appearance. However, he and his team are far from finished: ‘We can take a moment to breathe together now, but that’s only for twelve hours, then it’s back to work.’
The Cavs’ big men, in particular, can feel they’ve more than earned their short respite. Jarrett Allen, who was a hero in Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Raptors, once again impressed with 23 points and seven rebounds. His frontcourt partner, Evan Mobley, filled the stat sheet with an efficient 21 points (7/10 FG), twelve boards, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. This was only the second time this season that Mitchell, Allen, and Mobley each scored over 20 points in the same game.
Harden struggles with shooting — Schröder briefly in the spotlight
On this night, the trio received significant support from Sam Merrill, who had a particularly hot hand off the bench (23 PTS, 7/10 FG, 5/8 3FG). This was less true for James Harden. ‘The Beard’ lived up to his not-so-stellar reputation as a closer at first glance (9 PTS, 2/10 FG, 0/6 3FG). However, the guard distributed the ball well (6 AST, 1 TO) and had a significant impact on the game despite his shooting woes. He was rewarded with the best plus-minus rating of any player (+31).
Dennis Schröder saw 18 minutes of action off the bench. The German captain had a relatively quiet evening (2 PTS, 1/1 FG, 3 REB, 3 AST). The world and European champion caused the most excitement when he exaggerated a slight contact with Robinson.
While the Pistons’ season ends in disappointing fashion, the Cavaliers’ championship dream lives on. The first game of the Conference Finals is scheduled for early Wednesday morning (2 AM) against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
NBA Playoffs 2026: Second Round Results
| Conference | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Thunder (1) — Lakers (4) | 4-0 |
| Western | Spurs (2) — Timberwolves (6) | 4-2 |
| Eastern | Pistons (1) — Cavaliers (4) | 3-4 |
| Eastern | Knicks (3) — Sixers (7) | 4-0 |