Pistons Force Game 7, Beat Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6

The top-seeded Detroit Pistons stayed alive Friday night, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to even the series 3-3 and force a winner-take-all Game 7. Detroit broke the game open after halftime at Rocket Arena in Cleveland and will host the deciding game Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.

Facing elimination, the Pistons took control with a dominant second half. Detroit outscored Cleveland 61-43 after the break, including a 30-19 edge in the third quarter and a 31-24 advantage in the fourth, turning a tight game into a lopsided finish. The loss was Cleveland’s first at home in the 2026 playoffs.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 21 points and eight assists and made five 3-pointers. Center Jalen Duren added 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 7 for 10 from the field. Paul Reed gave the Pistons a major lift off the bench with 17 points.

Detroit’s efficiency and ball movement told the story. The Pistons shot 43 for 82 from the field, or 52.4%, and hit 16 of 36 from 3-point range, 44.4%. Cleveland shot 30 for 77 overall, 39%, and went 12 for 35 from beyond the arc, 34.3%.

The Pistons also moved the ball more cleanly and consistently, finishing with 25 assists to Cleveland’s 15, while holding a slight 52-48 edge on the boards.

Cleveland’s star backcourt could not make up the difference. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for 41 points, but they shot just 12 for 33 and committed 11 turnovers, according to recap reporting. Detroit capitalized on those empty possessions as the Cavaliers’ offense stalled in the second half.

The result keeps alive a postseason that has carried heavy expectations for Detroit after it finished as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Instead of seeing its season end in Game 6, the Pistons sent the series back home for one final game.

Now the stakes are simple: the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 in Detroit will advance to the Eastern Conference finals to face the New York Knicks, who are already through. For the Pistons, a victory would send the franchise to the conference finals for the first time since 2008.