The NBA conference semi-finals comes down to a decisive Game 7 as the Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After evening the series, the Pistons will look to capitalise on home-court advantage. The game follows the Pistons’ dominant 21-point win in Game 6 on Friday.
Pistons Aim to Offset Previous Home Showing
As the No. 1 seed in the East, Detroit has home-court advantage. They will try to offset their last home showing — an overtime loss that included a controversial non-call.
The league later stood by the non-call in its Last Two Minute Report.
Cunningham’s Leadership Key for Pistons
The Pistons believe they are still in this, according to Cade Cunningham who reminded everyone that “it’s first to four wins.”
That’s been the Pistons’ identity all season, and it has lifted them to this point with a team mindset and mentality, plus a swarming and active defence. Cunningham’s 30 points a night in the playoffs are the most in Pistons franchise history.
Winner to Face Well-Rested Knicks
The winner of this series will go on to play the New York Knicks, who are riding high after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers. Facing the Knicks will be no small feat for either team, as New York has already had a full week off and will be well-rested for the Eastern Conference finals.
Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach, Dan Devine, Dan Titus and Tom Haberstroh all agree that the Pistons would be the tougher matchup for the Knicks. The Pistons swept the Knicks 3-0 in the regular season, winning by an average of 28 points.
Quotes on Mental Fortitude After Game 5
In the aftermath of Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, there were quotes about “mental toughness,” “mental fortitude,” and “resiliency, grit.”
Those quotes came from Kenny Atkinson, Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus of the Cavs. They were describing their effort to come back, steal home-court advantage and give themselves a chance to end this series in Cleveland on Friday.
Game Details
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Little Caesars Arena | Detroit
- TV channel: Amazon Prime
After last year’s first-round exit, Detroit will be eager for redemption.