The Cleveland Cavaliers booked their place in the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018 after a dominant 125-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the deciding game of their playoff series.
Led by Donovan Mitchell, who recorded 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Cleveland completed a remarkable comeback after losing the opening two games of the series.
Key Highlights:
- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 125–94 to win the series 4–3.
- Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points and 8 assists.
- Cleveland came back from 0–2 down to win the series.
- They face the New York Knicks next in the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second straight MVP award.
Sam Merrill added 23 points, Jarrett Allen contributed 23, while Evan Mobley finished with 21 points in the emphatic win at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The Cavaliers seized control early, building a 20-point lead in the first half before cruising to a 4-3 series triumph. Daniss Jenkins was Detroit’s top scorer with 17 points, but the Pistons struggled to match Cleveland’s intensity throughout the contest.
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Cleveland, seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference, will now face the third-seeded New York Knicks for a place in the NBA Finals. Game one of the series is scheduled for Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
Speaking after the victory, Mitchell praised his team’s achievement but warned they must improve their consistency going forward.
“This is fantastic. But we’ve got to be more disciplined,” he said.
Detroit, who finished the regular season with an impressive 60-22 record, missed out on reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2005.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the San Antonio Spurs for a spot in the NBA Finals.
In another major NBA development, Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his second consecutive Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, becoming the first guard since Stephen Curry in 2015 and 2016 to achieve the feat.
The 27-year-old received 83 first-place votes and amassed 939 points overall in the voting process, finishing ahead of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds across 68 games this season, helping Oklahoma City finish with a league-best 64-18 regular season record.
