By Gio Gloria
Winning a Game 7 once in the postseason comes down to a combination of a team’s effort, some luck, and the circumstances within the game. But winning two Game 7s in one postseason makes it a habit.
From the jump, the Cleveland Cavaliers were out for blood, limiting the Detroit Pistons to 47 points in the first half while almost scoring 100 points themselves through three quarters. The Cavs had control for pretty much the entire contest, as the Pistons only held the lead for 29 seconds in the first quarter.
Cleveland’s onslaught was led by Donovan Mitchell (game-highs of 26 points and eight assists), Sam Merrill (23 points on five 3-pointers and video-game esque .700/.625/1.000 shooting splits), Jarrett Allen (23 points and seven rebounds), and Evan Mobley (21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks). Mitchell, in particular, took over during the latter part of the third quarter, where he went all out despite being saddled with foul trouble and hounded by everyone Detroit threw at him.
Through two playoff series, the Cavs endured the ebbs and flows that come with postseason basketball by relying on various players. James Harden struggled in this series despite averaging more points against the Pistons (21.3) than when he faced the Toronto Raptors (20.6), but Mitchell and Mobley have picked up the slack. Merrill and Max Strus have also stepped up to shore up the shooting.
Defensively, Cleveland has relied on Mobley and Allen, and their presence was key to Detroit’s shoddy performance in Game 7. The rest of the Cavs fed off their dominance in the paint as the likes of Mitchell, Strus, and Merrill gambled more and were more aggressive in the passing lanes.
However, the New York Knicks will present a different challenge for Cleveland, one that could be their toughest yet. The Knicks are peaking at the right time, having swept an eager, but hobbled Philadelphia 76ers squad. But the Cavs are a battle-tested bunch, especially in this postseason. Their 14 games are the most among all remaining postseason teams and they have been able to navigate through those contests with their roster relatively intact. While it may not mean much, Cleveland won their lone matchup against New York post-Harden trade (despite losing the first two games in the regular season series).
The challenge, though, will be in ensuring they do not suffer bouts of inconsistency. An off night from the Cavs on offense will likely come in the series and it’s on Cleveland to hold the line defensively. Facing off against the likes of Scottie Barnes and Cade Cunningham has prepared them for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but they will have to make sure that they can block out the noise that will come with playing in a tough environment like Madison Square Garden.
Fourteen games should have given the Cleveland Cavaliers a ton of opportunities to test their mettle and they know they have a next-man-up approach that will help them overcome adversity. It wouldn’t be surprising if the series goes the distance once again, but given the stakes and the opponent in front of them, the Cavs can’t take any chances and should end things ASAP.
