The Cleveland Cavaliers are on their way to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018 after routing the Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.
The Cavs will face the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
After missing an opportunity to close out the series in Game 6, the Cavs, who at one point were down 2-0 in this series, led by as many as 35 points in Game 7 and played with a purpose, especially Jarrett Allen.
In Game 7 of Round 1 against the Raptors, Allen had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and on Sunday, he had 23 points and seven rebounds. He was all over the place and was a dominant force on both ends of the court.
Furthermore, Donovan Mitchell, who advanced to the conference for the first time in his career, was also special, as he had a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Cleveland, which had four players score 20 or more points, got 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks from Evan Mobley, and Sam Merrill added 23 points, including five threes off the bench.
The Pistons were led by Daniss Jenkins, who had 17 points. Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson had 13 points apiece.
Bottom Line:
Pistons might have been the number one seed in the East, but the Cavs were the better team, and it showed in Game 7.
The Cavs had a championship response; they not only beat the Pistons, but beat them down in Game 7.
Cleveland, which had the best record in the East last season, was expected to reach the Eastern Conference finals or possibly the NBA Finals, but they lost to the Pacers in five in the second round. That was a disappointment.
At this point, the Cavs need to make the NBA Finals this season for the season to be a success, but defeating the Knicks won’t be easy. The Cavs are the clear underdogs heading into this series against New York, so we’ll see how they respond.
Because the Knicks, who swept the 76ers last round, have not played since last Sunday, they might be rusty, so the Cavs have an opportunity to steal Game 1.
New York is playing at a high level, and they are probably the best team in the East. They have good bigs, athletic wings, and scoring, which will help them defeat the Cavs in six.
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