Not much left to say. These teams have played each other six times in the last 12 days. They know everything there is to know about the other. Now it’s down to one game and who can execute their schemes, hit their shots, and play with more fire.
The Cavs looked tired after the OT win in Detroit. To me it looked like they left it all on the floor to pull out Game 5 and had little left in the tank on Friday. Mitchell and Harden played 42 and 43 minutes in Game 5 and it showed on Friday.
Donovan was 6-for-20 from the field. Harden had 8 turnovers. The Cavs lost at home by 21 points. These guys have to be better. Way better. But can they muster enough energy in their 14th playoff game?
Donovan Mitchell, who struggled heavily in the second half, failed to set the aggressive tone required for a closeout game, continuing a troubling career trend in Game 6 scenarios. Despite his status as the franchise cornerstone who heavily influenced the team’s roster construction, he looked visibly fatigued and was a minus-25 in his minutes on the floor. Meanwhile, James Harden scored 23 points but committed eight critical turnovers - W&G podcast summary
Another story was Detroit’s bench which outscored Cleveland’s 48-19. I can’t see the Cavs winning when their bench is being dominated like that.
There has been a gradual evolution of personnel as the series progressed. For the Cavs, rotation players Tyson and Ellis have been completely phased out. The first three games Tyson averaged 18 minutes; the last three he played only 11 non-garbage minutes. Ellis’ minutes were 11, 6, 2, 0, 0, and 0.
Allen played 18 minutes in game 1 but 31-36 the next five.
For the Pistons, Paul Reed, who came into the series as their 3rd string center, did not play the first two games but has averaged 16 minutes the last three. He’s shooting 76% as nobody has been able to stop his combination of length, quickness, and shooting touch.
For me the most amazing story has been Reed. I don’t think anybody expected him to play at all this series as Duren was an All-Star and Isaiah Stewart was also ahead of Reed on the depth chart. But he was huge in the Game 6 win with 17 points in 16 minutes on just 9 shots, plus 6 rebounds. He also blocked a dunk attempt by Mobley.
Reed reminds me of Collin Murray-Boyles of the Raptors. Going in CMB was just an undersized (6’7”) rookie backup center who wasn’t expected to have a big role but he gave the Cavs fits. Same for Reed. But at least CMB was expected to play. Signing Reed prior to this season is turning out to be a brilliant move for the Pistons, especially since they are challenged to score the ball. Reed really helps them with that.
So now each team understands the others’ rotation patterns. The coaches have settled on who they’re going to run with. I’m thinking there are not many adjustments to be made.
Another big factor, of course, is turnovers.
[In Game 6] 20 turnovers led to 28 points. [The Cavs] have surrendered 20 or more points off turnovers eight times this postseason, tied for the third-most in a single playoff run in the play-by-play era…
Dribbling into crowds with nowhere to go. Others came from Detroit’s physicality and pressure, exactly the kind of defense that hardens as a series stretches deeper into exhaustion. - Ethan Sands
Are the Cavs exhausted? Can they avoid excessive turnovers, especially in the first half when they’ve been turnover prone? I don’t think the Cavs can dig themselves out of a hole in Game 7. They can’t come out making careless passes and dribbling into crowds. Detroit will be swarming, as usual, along with the grabbing, holding, and body slamming. How much liberty the refs allow the Pistons will have a big impact on the game.
After Game 6 JBB said the refs let the Pistons play “our style” of basketball, which means the kind that led the NBA in fouls this year. Free throws are a price the Pistons are willing to pay in order to force turnovers and wear opponents down physically.
I was pleased that we were allowed to play our style of basketball tonight where we can be handsy, be physical, legally physical, legally handsy, and just make it difficult on people. - JBB
I give them a lot of credit. It’s completely within how the game’s being called today. So we have to find a way. It’s a clutch and grab and hold game and there’s not a lot of freedom of movement. We have to find a way to get separation. - KA
[The Pistons] built their team around strength and athleticism more than skill and shooting (like the Cavs). - W&G podcast
Who wins Game 7? The younger, stronger, more physical team who wants to beat you up and wear you out or the finesse team built around skill, shooting, and “beautiful basketball”? Which isn’t that beautiful anymore since James Harden arrived to slow things down.
Harden laid out the key to victory in his view.
You got to be detailed, you got to get off to a really good start. You got to maintain and sustain it for an entire game, however long that takes. So it really is just one game and we gotta...not necessarily play perfect, but we gotta be detailed. - Harden
Donovan Mitchell had another approach.
When we get hit in the mouth, we didn’t punch back. We have throughout the course of the playoffs. Tonight, we didn’t do that. - DM after Game 6
Do the Cavs have enough energy and the will to “punch back”? To “get off to a really good start”? To contain Reed, minimize turnovers, and stand up to the Pistons’ physicality? Or are they gassed and still in it only because Duncan Robinson was out for Game 5?
Home teams are 117-40 in NBA Game 7's.
Injury Report
CLEVELAND
Larry Nance Jr - DOUBTFUL (illness)
DETROIT
Caris LeVert - QUESTIONABLE (heel)
Kevin Huerter - QUESTIONABLE (adductor)
Duncan Robinson - QUESTIONABLE (back)