A tight second-round series ended with a decisive Game 7 victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who delivered their second straight road win with a 125-94 blowout, eliminating the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons’ magical season is over, and both conference finals series are set. Here are the winners and losers from Game 7 in Detroit.
Winners
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Since the blockbuster trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers, the 29-year-old guard has had huge success — but only in the regular season. He’s made four All-Star teams and two NBA teams, but his team hadn’t made it out of the second round until Sunday.
Mitchell was masterful in Game 7, scoring 26 points and handing out seven assists, without committing a single turnover. He averaged 28.1 points for the series, finding a way to make a huge impact even when his three-point shot wasn’t falling (25.4 percent). When the outside shot did go in, he was virtually unstoppable.