Pistons force Game 7 with clutch road victory against Cavaliers
The Pistons forced Game 7 back in Detroit with a victory over the Cavs in Cleveland Friday.
Cleveland — For the second time this postseason, the Detroit Pistons went on the road and held off their opponent in a potential elimination game. This time, it came on Friday night inside Rocket Arena with a 115-94 Game 6 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the win, the Pistons have tied the Eastern Conference Semifinals at 3-3 and forced a Game 7 Sunday evening at Little Caesars Arena.
Cade Cunningham led the way with 21 points, 16 of which came in the first half; however, the Pistons staved off elimination with a collective effort. Six players scored in double figures. Duncan Robinson, who missed the previous game due to a back injury, added 14 points while shooting 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Jalen Duren had his best performance of the series, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds, with seven coming on the offensive end and two blocks. Before fouling out at the 3:56 mark of the fourth quarter, Ausar Thompson recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. The Pistons' bench unit delivered its best performance of the series, with Paul Reed, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert contributing 17, nine, and eight points, respectively.
James Harden led Cleveland with 23 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 18. coty. davis@detroitnews.