The Cleveland Cavaliers booked their place in the Eastern Conference finals with a ruthless 125-94 demolition of the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 at Little Caesars Arena, ending the top seeds’ season and the most surprising playoff run in the Pistons’ recent history. Donovan Mitchell poured in 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting, Evan Mobley added 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Cleveland led by as many as 34 in a fourth quarter that emptied both benches with more than six minutes still on the clock.
It was the largest margin of victory in a Game 7 on the road since 2016, and a stark reversal from the opening two games of the series, when Detroit’s defence had suffocated Mitchell into a combined 15-of-44 shooting. Cleveland, the fourth seed in the East, will now face the winner of New York and Indiana in the conference finals, returning to that round for the first time since LeBron James’ departure in 2018.
Mitchell delivers his definitive Cleveland performance
For all the questions about whether Mitchell could carry a contender deep into May, the answer arrived inside the first 18 minutes. He scored 22 points in the opening half, hit four of his first five three-point attempts, and twice attacked Cade Cunningham off the dribble to draw fouls that put Detroit’s primary creator on the bench with three personals before the interval. By the time he checked out for good with 7:42 remaining in the fourth, the visitors led 109-78.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson had spent the week between Games 6 and 7 publicly defending Mitchell’s shot diet, insisting the Pistons were “selling out” to take away the pull-up three. Cleveland’s adjustment was simple but decisive: Mitchell started the game in the dunker spot on two possessions, drew the help, and kicked to Max Strus for open corner threes. Strus made both. Detroit never recovered its rotations.
- Mitchell’s 38 points were the most by a Cavaliers player in a Game 7 since LeBron James scored 45 against Indiana in 2018.
- Cleveland shot 18-of-37 from three-point range, a franchise record for a playoff elimination game.
- Mobley’s 14 rebounds included six on the offensive glass, with the Cavaliers winning the second-chance points battle 22-6.
- Detroit committed 19 turnovers, leading to 28 Cleveland points.
The Pistons’ breakthrough ends in collapse
Detroit’s season will still be remembered as the franchise’s most successful in 18 years. Cunningham averaged 26.4 points and 9.1 assists across the regular season to finish third in MVP voting, Jalen Duren established himself as one of the league’s most efficient interior scorers, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff — fired by Cleveland 14 months ago — guided the team to 58 wins and the top seed in the East. Defeating Miami in five games in the first round confirmed the transformation.
But the semi-final exposed the limits of a young roster. Cunningham, playing through a left thumb sprain suffered in Game 4, shot 6-of-20 in the decider and finished with 18 points and seven turnovers. Bickerstaff’s bench, the league’s youngest by average age, was outscored 47-19. The Pistons’ starters had logged the third-most regular-season minutes of any team in the NBA, and by the second quarter on Sunday it showed: closeouts arrived late, transition defence broke down, and the home crowd that had roared through Game 6 was largely silent by half-time.
What Cleveland’s return means
The Cavaliers’ last conference finals appearance, in 2018, ended with James carrying a depleted roster past Boston in seven games before being swept by Golden State. The version that advances now is materially different: built around Mitchell and Mobley, coached by a first-year head coach in Atkinson, and constructed with two more years of team control on every starter under 28.
The path forward is unforgiving. The Knicks have home-court advantage in the next round and have already eliminated Boston in six games. Indiana, who pushed New York to a Game 7 of their own, would arrive with the league’s most efficient half-court offence over the past three months. Cleveland will be the underdog regardless of opponent.
What changed in this series, though, was the perception of Mitchell as a player who flattens in elimination games. He averaged 31.6 points across the seven contests and shot above 45 per cent from three. Asked afterwards whether this performance answered the criticism, he was brief: “I’ve heard it for eight years. I don’t need to answer it tonight.” Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals tips off on Wednesday.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
29 articles published
