Pistons Advance to NBA East Finals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons won game 7 of their NBA series with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, and there are two more game 7s on Monday night.

The Pistons allowed LeBron James to score 27 points Sunday afternoon, 21 in the first half alone. But the rest of the Cleveland starters combined for only five baskets and 16 points, a huge reason why the Pistons are heading to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth straight year.

Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points and Richard Hamilton added 15 as the Pistons stifled the Cavaliers 79-61. Detroit kept the Cavs under 31 percent shooting and used a 19-6 run to go ahead 67-52 midway through the third quarter.

The Cavaliers managed just ten points in the third quarter and finished with the lowest scoring total ever in a Game Seven. James was the lone Cavalier with more than ten points.

Detroit now prepares for the Miami Heat in a battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Game One is Tuesday on the Pistons’ home court.

The Heat haven’t played since Tuesday, when they closed out a five-game series against New Jersey.

In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks visit the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers are in Phoenix to face the Suns. Both are game 7s and the winners will meet in the Western finals starting Wednesday.