Cavs snatch game seven victory over Pistons to advance

James Harden’s Cleveland Cavaliers snatched a 125-94 game seven victory over the No 1 seed Detroit Pistons to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, with Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill scoring 23 each to lead their team to a fantastic win that sees his team get out of the second round, where they have lost in the playoffs in both of the last two seasons.

Kenny Atkinson’s team are now in their first conference finals since 2018 and face the high-flying New York Knicks, who are coming off a week of rest after securing a series sweep over the Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday, for a place in the NBA Finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell celebrates as he leaves the court

“We didn’t just come here just to win a goal,” said All-Star Mitchell, who reaches the conference finals for the first time in his nine-season NBA career.

“”Even last year. when we lost to Indiana, we had our goals set on getting to the [NBA] Finals. We’re just one step closer.

“It’s been almost a decade of running into the same issue. … As a team, we can breathe a little bit, but the same token, we can only breathe for about 12 hours, and then get right back to it.”

Cade Cunningham was held to just 13 points, 16 below his playoff average

Daniss Jenkins scored 17 points, and Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson each finished with 13 for the Pistons, who fell one win shy of their first conference finals appearance since 2008 after forcing the deciding game with a Game 6 victory Friday night.

“That game sucked,” said Cunningham, who was held 16 points under his playoff average. “Being back home, wanted to get this win in front of our fans. It reminded me of last year, losing on home court. It’s not a great feeling.”

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen goes to the basket

Cleveland capitalised on poor shooting by the Pistons in the opening quarter, turning missed shots into transition baskets to lead 31-22 going into the second. The Cavs quickly seized control of the next quarter with a 24-9 run which almost put the game out of reach.

Detroit’s offensive struggles only deepened and the Cavs continued to shoot efficiently as they built a commanding 64-47 lead into half-time.

The Cavs kept rolling in the second half and led by as much as 35 points. The closest the Pistons were able to get in the half was within 17 in the third quarter as they remained in control on the way to a dominant victory.

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