Pistons pound Cavaliers to stay alive

TL;DR

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 to force a game seven in their NBA playoff series. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 21 points, helping to stave off elimination.

Key points

Pistons won 115-94 against Cavaliers
Cade Cunningham scored 21 points
Pistons forced a game seven in the series
Cavaliers must win on the road in game seven
Detroit had a strong second quarter run

Detroit PistonsCleveland CavaliersCade CunninghamJalen Duren

Cade Cunningham walks off the court after helping the Detroit Pistons clinch a must-win series-leveling victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers (Gregory Shamus) (Gregory Shamus/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP) Cade Cunningham scored 21 points as the Detroit Pistons staved off elimination from the NBA playoffs with a 115-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday. The top-seeded Pistons -- trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series before Friday's must-win game in Cleveland -- produced a dazzling early onslaught to build a double-digit lead that proved the difference between the two sides. Cleveland, unbeaten at their Rocket Arena home so far this postseason, will now have to win on the road in Sunday's decisive game seven in Detroit to advance. Cunningham's 21 points included five three-pointers, while at the defensive end, Detroit center Jalen Duren delivered a dominant performance that included 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Cunningham was one of six Pistons players to finish in double figures, with Paul Reed adding 17 off the bench, and Duren and Daniss Jenkins scoring 15 points apiece. "We're just playing our brand of basketball, coming out competing, trying to execute our system to the best of our ability, and we're together," Cunningham said afterward. "We stick together through everything, so it's a great win for us." James Harden led Cleveland's scoring with 23 points while was restricted to 18 points. The Cavs started Friday's game brightly, opening up a six-point lead in the first quarter before the Pistons started firing to take a grip on the contest. A devastating 22-4 run by Detroit saw the visitors accelerate into a commanding 39-27 lead in the second quarter and although Cleveland closed the gap to 54-51 at halftime, the Pistons regrouped impressively to snuff out the Cavs' threat with a 30-19 third quarter. That left Detroit leading by 14 points heading into the fourth and the result was never in doubt, with the Pistons maintaining a double-digit lead to close out victory. rcw/pnb

Q&A

What was the score of the Pistons vs Cavaliers playoff game?

The Detroit Pistons won the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a score of 115-94.

Who scored the most points for the Pistons in their win over the Cavaliers?

Cade Cunningham scored the most points for the Pistons, finishing with 21 points.

What does the Pistons' victory mean for the playoff series against the Cavaliers?

The Pistons' victory leveled the series at 3-3, forcing a decisive game seven in Detroit.

Pistons pound Cavaliers to stay alive

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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