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Pistons’ Cade Cunningham gets brutally honest about Game 7 blowout vs Cavs
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- Pistons’ Cade Cunningham gets brutally honest about Game 7 blowout vs Cavs
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The Detroit Pistons ' season ended in a rout Sunday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 125-94 win in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Little Caesars Arena. After securing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with 60 wins, Detroit suffered a 31-point defeat that became the third-largest postseason loss ever by a 60-win team, according to ESPN Research.
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Cade Cunningham did not hide his frustration after the game. The All-Star guard finished with a playoff career-low 13 points while shooting 5-for-16 from the field and 0-for-7 from three-point range, along with five assists and three turnovers before being pulled from the game with 5:51 remaining as the Pistons trailed by 34 points.
"That game sucked," Cunningham said following the loss. "Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win for the fans. Reminded me of last year, losing on the home court.
"It's not a great feeling. I hadn't been thinking about the offseason so my mind's been racing now, trying to figure out what I've got to do and what it's going to look like. That's really it."
Detroit never recovered from its poor start. Cleveland jumped ahead 31-22 after the first quarter and stretched the lead with a 24-9 run in the second period. The Cavaliers entered halftime ahead 64-47, giving the Pistons their second-largest halftime deficit ever by a No. 1 seed in a Game 7 since NBA seeding began in 1983-84, according to ESPN Research.
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The Pistons hit a wall offensively throughout the night, shooting just 35.3% from the floor while scoring only 34 points in the paint, tying their season low. Cleveland controlled the interior, finishing with a 58-34 advantage.
Donovan Mitchell led then Cavaliers with 26 points, including 15 in the third quarter to eliminate any hopes of a Detroit comeback. Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scored 23 points, while Evan Mobley added 21 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.
Despite the lopsided finish, coach JB Bickerstaff refused to call the season a disappointment after the Pistons' dramatic turnaround from a 14-68 campaign two years ago to its first playoff series victory since 2008.
Related: JB Bickerstaff drops 'disappointment' truth bomb after Pistons' Game 7 loss
Related: Pistons' Tobias Harris' playoff fade vs. Cavs will bring deja vu to 76ers fans
