The Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing off one final time in the second round of the NBA playoffs on Sunday night.
However, the Pistons will enter the game with massive historical advantage.
In five Game 7s in their home court, the Pistons have been undefeated, giving them a slight edge against the Cavaliers entering their clash for a slot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the first round, the Pistons also dispatched the Orlando Magic at home in Game 7 to turn back a 3-1 lead in the series and advance to the second round against the Cavaliers.
The Pistons are coming off a gutsy Game 6 win on the road against the Cavaliers to force a winner-take-all game in Detroit.
The Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead after Game 5 in Detroit, which has pushed the Pistons to a must-win situation for a fourth time in the playoffs. Game 7 against the Cavaliers will be the Pistons’ fifth time the team faces elimination this season.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers are 2-2 in Game 7 on the road. They were 7-2 all-time in Game 7, including their first-round victory against the Toronto Raptors, which set up their series with the Pistons.
Pistons Coach Explains What Makes Team Unbeatable in Elimination Games
GettyHead Coach JB Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons ahead of Game 7.
The Pistons had a dominant Game 6 in Cleveland, beating the Cavaliers, 115-94.
According to Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff, the team has shown a no-quit attitude throughout the playoffs, built on relentless defense.
“They just don’t quit,” he said. “The resolve that they have, the belief that they have in one another. They just have the ability to bounce back mentally where they don’t hang on to things.”
“We did what needed to be done. When we’re at our best, it’s the defense that’s going to carry us. It’s the physicality. I was pleased that we were allowed to play our style of basketball tonight where we can be legally physical, legally handsy, and just make it difficult on people.”
The Pistons clamped down on the Cavaliers in Game 6, forcing them to just shoot 29% in the loss.
Defense will remain a top priority for the Pistons in Game 7 as they look to contain the Cavaliers’ star-studded frontcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
Meanwhile, the Pistons will lean on Cade Cunningham’s offensive brilliance once more in the must-win game.
Cavaliers’ James Harden Wants Team to Up The Ante For Game 7
Getty Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden ahead of Game 7.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would have to overcome many factors in Game 7 in Detroit. But for former NBA MVP James Harden, the Cavaliers must step on the gas and move to another gear in Game 7 to topple the Pistons on their home floor.
“We needed to get to that third and fourth level,” he said after Game 6. “It was never just a consistent flow at either end of the ball, which is frustrating, but can’t do nothing about it. We got to start focusing our mind for one game on the road.”
Game 7 between the Cavaliers and the Pistons, the lone one in the second round, will tip off on Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The winner will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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