Mitchell scores 26 as Cavaliers rout Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 to reach East finals

“Even last year when we lost to Indiana, we had our goals set on getting to the (NBA) Finals. We’re just one step closer. It’s been almost a decade of running into the same issue. … As a team, we can breathe a little bit, but we can only breathe for about 12 hours, and then get right back to it.”

Daniss Jenkins scored 17 points, and Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson each finished with 13 for the Pistons, who fell one win shy of their first conference finals appearance since 2008 after forcing the deciding game with a Game 6 victory Friday night.

“That game sucked,” said Cunningham, who was held 16 points under his playoff average. “Being back home, wanted to get this win in front of our fans. It reminded me of last year, losing on home court. It’s not a great feeling.”

The Cavs dictated the pace from the opening tip and never allowed the Pistons to gain traction, then blew open a convincing Game 7 performance when Mitchell scored 15 in the third quarter.

Detroit was outscored in the paint 58-34 and made only 35.3 per cent of its field goal attempts, compared to Cleveland’s 50.6 per cent.

“When we play with force, it’s really a key. Like, force on both ends with our talent, we’re really hard to beat,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “The question we got to answer, we talked about it a lot, is we can’t have force letdowns like Game 6, where we were not the forceful team.

“But tonight we were, that was a whole difference, our force on both ends.”

Cleveland capitalized on cold shooting by the Pistons in the opening quarter, turning missed shots into transition baskets while building an early advantage. The Cavs led 31-22 going to the second, and after Detroit had the first two baskets, Cleveland quickly seized control with a 24-9 run. The Pistons’ offensive struggles only deepened and the Cavs continued to shoot efficiently as they built a commanding 64-47 lead by halftime.

The Cavs kept rolling in the second half and led by as much as 35 points. The closest the Pistons were able to get in the half was within 17 in the third quarter.

“We knew that start was monumental, the start that they knew that we were here, and that we were going to give them some problems,” Atkinson said.

“The beginning of the game, that was key, and then coming out of halftime was the same message: ‘We got to win this first five minutes to put them on their on their heels.’”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Bob Tripi, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Mitchell scores 26 as Cavaliers rout Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 to reach East finals

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