The Cavaliers opened Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night at Rocket Arena with the kind of early push that can change a series. Tipoff came at 7:12 p.m., and Cleveland led 23-17 with 3:04 remaining in the first quarter.
Donovan Mitchell and James Harden had seven points apiece for the Cavaliers early in the cavs game, while Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson led the Pistons with five points apiece at that point. The Cavaliers fell behind 8-4 out of the gate, then settled in after Harden and Mitchell hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Jalen Duren’s layup tied the score 12-12 with 6:42 remaining. A little later, the teams were tied again at 12-12 during a timeout with 5:53 left in the quarter.
From there, Cleveland began to separate. Evan Mobley knocked down a 3-pointer over Pistons center Isaiah Stewart before Mitchell drove for a layup, helping build the lead that stood at 23-17 with 2:27 remaining in the opening period. Harden had five points when that update was recorded, and his start carried added weight: he passed Stephen Curry for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list.
The Cavaliers entered Game 6 trying to close out Detroit after winning Game 5 and taking a 3-2 series lead. They had lost the first two games of the best-of-seven second-round series before winning three consecutive games, flipping the matchup and putting themselves one win from the Eastern Conference finals, where the New York Knicks awaited.
Cleveland also kept its rotation intact. The Cavaliers used the same starting lineup in Game 6 that they used in the first five games against the Pistons, and Larry Nance Jr. was listed as out with an illness about 15 minutes before tipoff. Nance had not appeared in the series. Game 6 was televised nationally by Prime Video and broadcast on WTAM 1100-AM, WMMS 100.7-FM and Radio.
For Cleveland, the start was the point: after letting Detroit take control early in the series, the Cavaliers had already shown they could answer back. Friday’s opening minutes suggested they intended to finish the job the same way they turned the series around — by making the first punch count.
