Detroit forced a Game 7 with a 115-94 beatdown of Cleveland on Saturday. The visitors were able to hand Cleveland their first taste of defeat at home in this year’s playoffs, outhustling them in every aspect and recording their second-best offensive game of the postseason to cruise to victory. A 22-4 run that ended early in the second quarter put JB Bickerstaff’s men in control and they kept the pressure coming all night long, to finish with a 103.3 defensive rating and a 123.6 offensive rating. Detroit’s shots were falling, going 16/36 from deep, with Duncan Robinson’s return from a one-game injury layoff coming at the right time, as he went 4/7 from deep. Daniss Jenkins popped up in all of the right places to have 15 points and three assists, Paul Reed had another excellent bench cameo with 17 points, six rebounds and one block in just 16 minutes and Jalen Duren found some form to drop 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Cade Cunningham had 21 points and eight assists, although his efficiency wasn’t there, with a 52.8% TS% and eight turnovers, but Ausar Thompson did everything that he could, racking up 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block before fouling out.
Thompson was, importantly, able to unsettle Donovan Mitchell and effectively shut him out of the game and minimise Cleveland’s offence. It was a great defensive effort from Thompson, Jenkins and Duren, but Kenny Atkinson would have been hoping for a lot more from his star guard. Mitchell shot just 6/20 from the field for a 41.4% TS% in the closeout game, finishing with 18 points and three assists in the loss. James Harden tried to lift his team offensively, with 23 points, four assists and four steals on 66.1% TS% but his eight turnovers hurt, while Evan Mobley did his thing with 18 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. His frontcourt buddy Jarrett Allen had 13 points, eight rebounds and one block and Sam Merrill hit his shots for 10 points, but Cleveland got virtually nothing from their bench in this contest. Dennis Schröder was awful and Max Strus couldn’t find his stroke, contributing to a 48.0% eFG% from the team and that, along with 20 turnovers, left Cleveland with no chance of winning this game.
Mitchell has not looked himself since rolling his ankle in Game 5 and I can’t trust Harden to bear the load in the backcourt in a Game 7. Similarly for Detroit, they have often looked clueless offensively in this series and Cunningham’s turnover woes certainly aren’t going to leave him in this high-stakes game. The last game hit the under and Game 5 would have hit the under if not for OT, and I expect Game 7 to be another slog. Both teams’ offences will be put under a tonne of pressure and I expect Detroit to prevail in a very low-scoring battle.