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Sam Merrill’s 23 points unlocked Cleveland’s spacing — Why Detroit never recovered
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- Sam Merrill’s 23 points unlocked Cleveland’s spacing — Why Detroit never recovered
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
How Donovan Mitchell is reacting to Pistons vs. Cavaliers game 7 result
Sam Merrill came up big for the Cavaliers, scoring 23 points off the bench—a playoff record for a Cleveland reserve. His points didn’t come out of nowhere either. They were a sign that Detroit had finally lost control of the spacing battle, something they’d managed well through most of the series.
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Despite what turned into a lopsided result, Donovan Mitchell showed respect for how Detroit competed. After wrapping up a hard-fought series that went the distance, he spoke honestly about what made them such a difficult opponent to put away.
Speaking after Game 7, Mitchell said: “There’s something over there in Detroit. We have high praise and respect for what they’re building over there.”
Cleveland won three straight games to finish the series after falling behind 3-1, but it wasn’t as simple as just hitting shots or getting stops. Detroit made them earn every one of those wins by forcing them to make real adjustments on both ends.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Donovan Mitchell and Collin Sexton talk about Monty Williams
Mitchell was clear about how much respect he has for Monty Williams and what he’s done with this young Pistons team: “It may not look like much in the regular season record-wise. But when you get into playoff basketball, that style is going to win you games.”
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The praise extended beyond just the coach too. Collin Sexton gave plenty of credit to Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren for pushing him all series long: “They make me better because I see them so locked in defensively trying to take away what I do.”
Even with strong numbers throughout the series—24.4 points per game on 44% shooting—Mitchell felt like he left room for improvement.
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