What the Detroit Pistons need to do to win Game 6
The Detroit Pistons are facing elimination in Game 6. Here’s what needs to change for Detroit to extend the series and send it to a winner-take-all Game 7.
It has been revealed that one game, Game 7, will be played in the NBA conference semifinals.
The Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the East, played with more intensity and energy and responded well with shot-making in Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, May 15, winning 115-94.
The Pistons finally got help from Cade Cunningham as six players reached double figures in scoring.
But late Friday night in the Western Conference, the second-place San Antonio Spurs defeated the sixth-place Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 in a completely dominant performance, and the way this young team played was remarkable.
Second-year guard Stephon Castle scored 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Castle had 11 rebounds and six assists.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Friday night’s Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs.
Perhaps it’s the presence of veterans like De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes. Perhaps it’s the organizational culture cultivated by longtime coach Gregg Popovich.
Either way, the Spurs are playing well beyond their years, making them dangerous not only for the next few years, but also in the playoffs. For most key rotation players, this postseason always brings new firsts. Victor Wembaneyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Julien Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant (four of whom are starters) will be playing in the playoffs for the first time.
This is their first appearance in the conference semifinals, and the previous round was their first-ever first round series. Still, Spurs were the team that played with more composure. They stayed out of foul trouble (and didn’t complain to the officials). They embraced grit and hustle play. Their effort and intensity never waned. Most importantly, they didn’t let the magnitude of the moment get to their heads.
San Antonio played loose and confident. The Spurs have an identity built on defense, speed, and offense in the paint, and are built for the postseason and can win in a variety of ways. They then have to get past the reigning champion Thunder, who won 4-1 against Oklahoma City in the regular season. The rest of the West should be worried, because this team is built to be very good for a very long time.
The Spurs exploded in the second quarter, outscoring Minnesota 20-0 to start the period, forcing the Timberwolves to miss their first 12 attempts. It completely changed the flow of the game.
And a big reason why the Timberwolves went cold was because they didn’t do a good job of separating Wenbanyama from the paint, which resulted in Minnesota being hesitant in the paint. The Timberwolves fought back with a 27-11 run, but by the time they started attacking Wembangyama and contesting the intrusion, it was already too late.
Cleveland’s effort in a close game at home was unacceptable.
The Pistons were clearly the more desperate team, but Cleveland made it even worse with an effort that could only be described as casual at times. And it started from the beginning of the game.
Players like James Harden, who hung around on defense and failed to return for most of his eight turnovers, were emblematic of Cleveland’s problems Friday night. Detroit won with hustle plays time and time again.
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell played with some effort, but a poor shooting night (6-of-20) sabotaged the energy. The biggest problem was that many of his teammates didn’t follow suit.
“They were just hungry from the jump,” Mitchell said of the Pistons. “At the end of the day, we didn’t make it.”
The Cavaliers’ best fight on Friday night came with 0.3 seconds left in the game, when Cleveland bench players on the floor in garbage time shoved several Pistons players.
Asked if he was satisfied with Cleveland’s level of play, Harden said “no.” “No, not at all.”
When asked why there wasn’t that effort, Harden added, “That was a great question,” citing the team’s slow start.
“Throughout the game, we never got to that second level,” he said.
Give credit to Jaylen Duren. The Pistons’ All-Star center was benched for Game 5 and did not play in the fourth quarter or overtime, ceding that time to backup Paul Reed.
Just two days later, Duren had the most shocking game of the series. The stats (15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, three blocks, one steal) don’t necessarily tell the whole story. Duren’s performance caused Cavs players to step back from contesting shots and attempting drives, and his performance was closer to what he showed during the regular season.
It’s also telling that Duren returned and continued playing after twisting his left ankle in the third quarter.
Edwards didn’t shoot very well, scoring 24 points on 9-of-26 (34.6%), but none of Minnesota’s starters were a threat in Game 6.
Jaden McDaniels and Julius Lande started and combined to score seven points on 2-of-15 shooting. In fact, Randle’s three points were his lowest point total in 231 games, including the playoffs, since he left a game on March 29, 2023 with a sprained ankle.
Rudy Gobert was scoreless and attempted just four shots.
The Timberwolves have a steady presence in the West Division. Producing like Edwards’ support staff won’t get them over the hump.
Early turnovers and offensive rebounds put the Cavs in trouble.
Most worryingly, their effort issues led to many of the same problems that have plagued the Cavs throughout the postseason: turnovers and offensive rebounds.
Through the first 14 minutes and 34 seconds of the game, the Pistons had generated six offensive rebounds (15 total boards) to Cleveland’s two (and nine). In both the regular season and the playoffs, teams that are more intentional and aggressive tend to be rewarded with rebounds.
For some reason, early turnover was even worse. Through the first 14 minutes and 34 seconds, the Cavaliers gave the ball away 11 times, but the Pistons scored 14 points off turnovers (six points for the Cavaliers) compared to Detroit’s five turnovers.
Cleveland let down with a lack of energy and inattention to detail.
- Painting points: Detroit 48, Cleveland 26
- Points due to turnover: Detroit 28, Cleveland 17
- Quick attack points: Detroit 14, Cleveland 8
Throughout the series, the Pistons relied too much on Cade Cunningham. The reserve players played a big role and forced the game into Game 7.
Detroit’s bench scored 48 points on 18-of-29 shooting (62.1%), with Paul Reed (17 points, 6 rebounds) and Duncan Robinson (14 points) especially active. But it was a collective effort. Marcus Sasser scored nine points, but posted a game-high +27 plus/minus in his 18 minutes on the floor.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s bench disappeared at the worst possible time. Despite the Cavaliers’ star players playing a bit sluggishly, the bench also lacked explosiveness, scoring just 19 points on 6-of-23 shooting (26.1%), three of which came in garbage time.
The reserves who play in Game 7 on Sunday, May 17th could determine who plays the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
