Cavs blow perfect opportunity to punch ticket to conference finals, lose 115-94 to Pistons
The Cavs have their season on the line on Sunday.
May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) fouls Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) while going for a loose ball during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images CLEVELAND — Before Game 6, Detroit Pistons head coach J. B.
Bickerstaff said that you would have to “choke the life out of” his team. Those words proved to be prophetic. The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t up for the challenge.
They didn’t value possessions like they needed to, and overall didn’t have the attention to detail you need to close out a 60-win opponent. That came back to bite them as they dropped their best chance to go to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2018 with a 115-94 loss in Game 6. Now, it all comes down to Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday.
The Cavs once again got off to a sloppy start, which has been a trend throughout the playoffs. Turnovers were once again to blame. Good three-point shooting allowed them to close the first quarter just down one, but the giveaways caught up with them in the second.