Cleveland risks elimination in the second round, with a spotlight on their two superstars, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, who carry significant flaws.
Game five was an unexpected turning point. The Cleveland Cavaliers «stole» an away game at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in overtime. After four previous close games, all won by the home team, the Cavs secured their third series win on enemy territory in a true nail-biter. Momentum seemed to have shifted, with Cleveland holding a match point and the advantage of playing at home.
However, the outcome is known: Detroit’s «undead» team, having previously come back from a 1-3 deficit against Orlando to win 4-3, won their fourth elimination game against themselves.
«We know what’s at stake,» said Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, simply and credibly. «We’ve been through this before.» And the Pistons, led by their tirelessly fighting leader Cade Cunningham, repeatedly emphasize their team spirit, built on resilience and hard work, from game to game.
Heat Legend Criticizes Cavaliers Stars
Cleveland’s recent performance stood in stark contrast to this. Detroit won Game six by a historic 21-point margin against a team that seemed mentally unprepared for the task. The Cavs were nowhere near their full potential. This is even more bitter considering the Pistons were beatable.
Devastating criticism of the Cavs came from an authoritative source. «I’ve never seen a team have a chance to close out a series and show so little determination, focus, and intensity. Nobody is being held accountable here,» ranted Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem on the Prime Video NBA podcast. «Now it’s back to Detroit for Game seven – what’s going to happen? You’re on the test stand. Lose Game seven and you’ll see what happens then.»
Haslem (45), a former mental warrior who won championships with the Heat in 2006, 2012, and 2013, hit the nail on the head regarding the Cavs.
James Harden and Donovan Mitchell: Undoubtedly Superstars, but…
And this criticism must primarily be directed at the top stars: James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. They, along with their teammates, were listlessly defeated in Game six. Both players, despite their age difference – Harden is 36, Mitchell 29 – and standing at very different points in their careers, are undoubtedly superstars. However, it is equally undisputed that they are unfinished and are accompanied by at least one flaw.
Harden puts up epic numbers, was MVP (2018), and is a multi-time All-Star, yet he has no title and has often failed to reach his top level in big games.
Mitchell ranks seventh among all players with at least 50 playoff games played in scoring average (27.8 points). This places him higher than Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, or Kobe Bryant, but he has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in his career.
Mitchell has a 5-7 record in elimination games and was lost in the shuffle in the recent defeat against the Pistons, shooting 6-of-20 from the field with a -25 plus/minus. Harden, in this year’s playoffs, has almost as many turnovers as assists (81:66). Against the Cavs, in just three games, he had more turnovers than field goals made. In Game six, it was eight (!) turnovers on 6-of-13 shooting. He does, however, consistently find ways to get to the line, where he scores almost a third of his playoff points (81 out of 272).
«Everything you want is beyond effort. Nothing good comes on its own,» said Mitchell, somewhere between philosophical and perfunctory, but definitely correct.
Dennis Schröder is Lagging Behind His Form
But more is needed not only from him and Harden but also from potential backups Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Dennis Schröder. Strus and Schröder provide occasional sparks of energy and good defense, but the German World and European champion, in particular, is too inconsistent.
In Game six, Schröder failed to score for the first time in three years in a playoff game. Even aside from that, the 32-year-old appeared erratic and error-prone. In the playoffs, Schröder plays only 15.9 minutes, almost six minutes less than in the regular season, averaging 6.3 points with a field goal percentage just under 40 percent.
There’s no question: The Pistons go into Game seven on Monday night (2 AM) as favorites. They appear mentally stronger and have a more balanced team. Cunningham plays over 40 minutes per playoff game despite suffering a lung collapse in March. The 24-year-old scored 45, 32, and 32 points against the match points of the Orlando Magic in the first round. In Game six against the Cavs, even he showed signs of fatigue.
Cunningham scored «only» 21 points, committed seven Harden-esque turnovers, but still made five three-pointers on ten attempts and, of course, dictated the Pistons’ game. And then there’s Jalen Duren. The center received significant criticism in the playoffs, but in Game seven against Orlando and now facing potential elimination, the 22-year-old delivered his best performances of this postseason.
The New York Knicks await in the Eastern Conference Finals, having had no trouble with the Philadelphia 76ers and winning 4-0. But first, the showdown in Detroit must be played. As Donovan Mitchell aptly put it: «Nothing comes from nothing.»
NBA Playoffs 2026: Second Round Series and Results
| Conference | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Thunder (1) — Lakers (4) | 4-0 |
| Western | Spurs (2) — Timberwolves (6) | 4-2 |
| Eastern | Pistons (1) — Cavaliers (4) | 3-3 |
| Eastern | Knicks (3) — Sixers (7) | 4-0 |