Why Pistons will take down Cavs in 7 games after epic 3-1 comeback in 2026 NBA Playoffs

There is palpable relief on the Detroit Pistons’ bench and in their locker room. The Pistons were pushed to the limit by the upstart Orlando Magic and were forced to go seven games before the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed finally asserted themselves and eliminated their opponents.

The feeling in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ locker room is quite similar to the Pistons. The Cavs could not clinch their opening round series against the Toronto Raptors until the seventh game as well. After a shaky first half in that closing game, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs took over in the second half and disposed of the Raptors with their relentless all-around play and opportunistic offense.

The Pistons and the Cavaliers should have a physical and emotional series and it would not surprise anyone to see this series go seven games. However, the Pistons earned the No. 1 seed for a reason and they will find a way to survive and advance.

Pistons have a dynamic 1-2 punch

The Pistons were on the verge of a humiliating defeat, and that was almost assuredly the case in Game 6. The Magic had a 24-point lead in the third quarter and it seemed clear that the Pistons were finished for the season. But the Pistons had life and came through with a spectacular comeback, turning that deficit into a 14-point victory. There was a huge sigh of relief in the Detroit locker room and the Pistons were dominant in the seventh game.

Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris carried the team on their shoulders and there is a very good chance that they will team up against the Cavaliers. Cunningham averaged 36.3 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals during the three games that the Pistons found themselves in win or go home territory. Harris came through with a huge performance in Game 7 as he scored 30 points on 11 of 18 shooting that included 5 of 7 from beyond the arc.

In addition to Cunningham and Harris, the Pistons have a dynamic defensive team that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows is going to come through when his team gets to crunch time. Outstanding wing Ausar Thompson is the key to Detroit’s defense and he came up with 16 steals and 16 blocks against the Magic.

“Even when we were down 3-1 we were confident we were going to win,” Thompson said after the seventh game triumph, per The Athletic. “When we were down 24 (in Game 6), we were confident we were going to win. We’re still confident we’re going to win going forward.”

Overall in the playoffs, Cunningham is averaging 32.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists in the postseason. Harris is averaging 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds. The Pistons are also getting support from Jalen Duren and Duncan Robinson. Duren is averaging 10.6 points and 9.4 rebounds while Robinson is averaging 10.3 points and connecting on 36.5 percent of his three-point attempts.

Cavaliers have plenty of firepower themselves

The Cavaliers and Pistons are something of mirror images of each other. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are certainly capable of coming up with a huge offensive performance, much like Cunningham and Harris did for the Pistons.

Neither one was at their best against Toronto, and that’s somewhat concerning. However, even though Mitchell was 9 of 20 from the field for 20 points in the seventh game and Harden was 3 of 9 and scored 18 points, the Cavs got the job done with their defense.

That will certainly be the primary formula the Cavs will use to try and get the best of the Pistons, but they also have a solid big man in Jarrett Allen, who was at his best in the seventh game. He scored 22 points and had 19 rebounds against the Raptors, and that gives head coach Kenny Atkinson that third option who can give the Cavs a major lift in this series.

Mitchell is averaging 23.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Harden is contributing 20.6 points per game and connecting on 45.3 percent of his shots from the field. Allen is averaging 11.4 points and 8.3 boards per game and fellow big man Evan Mobley is scoring 18.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Pistons and Cavs bound to play hard-hitting, defensive-oriented series

Bickerstaff knows that a great deal of pressure has been lifted. In addition to getting past a shockingly difficult first round, management has given him a contract extension. Bickerstaff has gone 104-60 in his two seasons with the Pistons and they have been a playoff team both years.

Now the former Cavaliers head coach gets a chance to show his old team that the Pistons are the superior team. It will be a major test for both teams, but the Pistons are just a bit stronger on the defensive side and should be able to impose their will in this series. The Pistons will outlast their long-time rivals and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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