Starting 5: Game 7 thrills on Sunday; Conference semifinals tip tonight

Pistons and Cavs earn Game 7 wins at home to advance and meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday

Cade to

Tobias.

Detroit to

the East Semis.

A weekend with three Game 7s

delivered two 3-1 comebacks – and the Pistons’ first Playoff series win since 2008.

See how it all went down

and what to know before the Conference Semifinals tip tonight on NBC & Peacock ⬇️

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

What’s Trending:

A wild First Round finale, three Game 7s, eight teams left

Cade Takes Control:

Cunningham hits new heights to lift Pistons out of 3-1 hole

Pistons Grit:

How Detroit came together to overcome the odds and finish the job

Allen Ignites Cavs:

Jarrett Allen takes over as Cleveland surges past Toronto in Game 7

Tonight On NBC & Peacock:

Knicks & Sixers collide at MSG, Wolves & Spurs duel in San Antonio

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The Conference Semifinals

tip tonight on NBC & Peacock as the Knicks host the Sixers in the East (

8 ET, NBC/Peacock

|

Tap to Watch

), before the Wolves visit the Spurs out West (

9:30 ET, Peacock

).

Catch Up Quick:

From the bracket to schedules to the latest news from every series,

tap here for the NBA Playoffs Hub

.

1. WHAT’S TRENDING: AN EPIC PLAYOFF WEEKEND IN 2 MINUTES

A First Round

for the ages, a weekend that was one of one, and now, just eight teams left standing.

Through 15 days

of Playoff basketball, we’ve already seen 48 total games.

That’s the most

First-Round games in a dozen years, capped by three Game 7s – the second-most since the current seven-game format was implemented in 2003.

Now,

the Conference Semifinals are set:

In the East…

No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 7 Sixers:

Game 1 tonight (8 ET, NBC/Peacock)

No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 4 Cavaliers:

Game 1 Tuesday (7 ET, Peacock)

In the West…

No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 6 Wolves:

Game 1 tonight (9:30 ET, Peacock)

No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 4 Lakers:

Game 1 Tuesday (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)

How We Got Here:

A record First Round culminated with an epic weekend, starting Friday, when the drama kicked into overdrive.

Detroit Rally:

The Pistons (once down 3-1 to Orlando) rallied from a 24-point deficit to force Game 7, marking Detroit’s largest Playoff comeback since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98

Barrett’s Bounce:

Then, RJ Barrett called game in Toronto with an

instant classic bounce-in 3

with 1.2 ticks left, forcing a Game 7 in Cleveland

Some Déjà Vu:

The bounce echoed another winner in Toronto: Kawhi Leonard’s

iconic Game 7 shot

in 2019 – “Kawhi bounce,” said Barrett

LeBron Lifts Lakers:

LeBron James (28 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast) and the Lakers capped the night with a Game 6 series-clinching win in Houston, solidifying the West Semis

Game 7 Heaven:

The weekend brought three Game 7s in the East, tying the NBA record for the most in one conference in a single Playoff round.

Those three Game 7s

match or exceed the

entire

Playoff total in six of the last 10 years. And the fireworks kept coming.

Philly Stuns Boston:

All eyes shifted to TD Garden Saturday, where Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey

led the Sixers past the Celtics

, 109-100, in Game 7, erasing a 3-1 deficit for Philly’s first Playoff series win over Boston in 44 years

Detroit Completes Comeback:

Then, the Pistons won their third straight game vs. Orlando, joining the Sixers as the only teams to pull off

3-1 comebacks in the same round

of a single postseason

Cavs Respond vs. Raptors:

To solidify the East Semis, Cleveland answered Barrett’s Game 6 buzzer-beater with a Game 7 dub, thanks to Jarrett Allen’s monster takeover (see Section 4 for more)

eight teams remain – and the Conference Semifinals begin.

Playoff Hub:

Dive into all things Playoffs, including the latest Conference Semi previews, stories and news

here

2. CADE LEVELS UP TO SEND PISTONS TO EAST SEMIFINALS

One week ago,

Cade Cunningham faced one of the biggest tests of his young career.

The No. 1 Pistons

were in a 3-1 hole against the No. 8 Magic after back-to-back losses. Cunningham had shot 15-of-46 in those losses while committing 17 turnovers – his most in any two-game span this season.

Six days later,

he walked off Detroit’s floor to a standing ovation – Game 7 in hand, and the Pistons’ first Playoff series win since 2008 was secured.

To get there,

he delivered his biggest three-game playoff stretch yet.

Game 5 Eruption:

Looking to avoid elimination on their home floor, Cunningham carried the Pistons with a franchise Playoff-record 45 points,

outdueling Paolo Banchero

(45 pts) with a last-minute dagger

Game 6 Rally:

Facing a 24-point deficit in Orlando, Cade (32 pts, 10 reb, 4 stl) sparked Detroit’s largest comeback of the season with 24 points and 9 boards in the 2nd half, sending the series back to Detroit

Then, Game 7:

The first of Cunningham’s career and one that will go down in the record books, as the 2x All-Star took over with

32 points, 12 assists and 2 blocks

, scoring 17 in the 2nd half to send Detroit to the East Semis.

Fearless:

Cunningham (24y, 220d) is the second youngest player in NBA history to total 30+ pts and 10+ ast in a Game 7,

trailing only Luka Dončić

On Fire:

He’s also just the sixth player ever to rack up 225+ total points and 50+ dimes in a single Playoff series

His Company?

Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James (2x), Jerry West and Oscar Robertson

Unfazed:

That run was capped by averages of 36.3 pts, 5 reb and 6.7 ast while shooting 61.1% from 3 in Games 5-7 – numbers he’s never matched over any three-game span in his career

“We were pushed to the limit,”

said Cunningham after Game 7. “I think we got a lot better from this series. I got a lot better from this series – I learned a lot about myself.”

3. DETROIT GRIT: PISTONS BAND TOGETHER TO TAKE GAME 7

They were one loss from

becoming the seventh No. 1 seed in NBA history to fall to a No. 8.

Instead,

the Pistons joined one of the league’s rarest clubs by erasing a 3-1 deficit.

Pistons 116, Magic 94:

After a last-minute win in Game 5 and a 24-point rally in Game 6, the Pistons finished the job in Game 7, using a 40-27 2nd quarter to build a double-digit lead that they never relinquished.

Cade Cunningham

(32 pts, 12 ast), Tobias Harris (30 pts, 9 reb) and Jalen Duren (15 pts, 15 reb) led the way, overcoming Paolo Banchero’s monster outing (38 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) to punch Detroit’s first ticket to the East Semifinals since 2008. |

Recap

All Grit, No Quit:

The Pistons are just the 15th team – and second this postseason, joining Philly – to erase a 3-1 series deficit. But the rally didn’t come out of nowhere.

It’s who they’ve been

all season.

Back in November,

a shorthanded Pistons squad erased a 13-point 4th-quarter deficit to beat Washington. It may have looked like just one of their 60 wins, but to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, it revealed something more.

“There’s a grit to them

, there’s a toughness to them,” said Bickerstaff of his team. “Down 13 in the 4th quarter, we could’ve given it up … but that’s not the nature of this group…

“Our identity is together,

and everything that we do is together.”

Six months later,

in a do-or-die Game 7, Detroit

did

what it’s done all year: band together.

Harris Heater:

Harris, who entered with a team-high three Game 7s under his belt,

scored 17 of Detroit’s 40 points

in the 2nd quarter, sparking a 22-9 closing run to take control

Cade In Command:

Cunningham added 21 of his 32 points across the 2nd and 3rd quarters, highlighted by a coast-to-coast jam to put Detroit up 15 in the 3rd

Jenkins Again:

Daniss Jenkins (16 pts) – who hit the game-tying buzzer-beater to force OT in November vs. Washington – splashed another to end the 3rd, as

Little Caesars Arena erupted

Duren Delivers:

Duren was a force inside, becoming the first Piston to post 15+ pts and 15+ reb in a Game 7 since Hall of Famer Ben Wallace in 2003

Final Lock:

Detroit’s defense allowed just 45 2nd-half points, holding the Magic under 95 for a second straight game, as Harris

drilled the dagger from the corner

As One:

With a slew of Pistons legends in attendance — from Wallace to Isiah Thomas to Rip Hamilton — Detroit capped its 3-1 comeback. That’s a deficit 302 teams had faced, and only 14 had erased.

Make the 2025-26 Pistons

No. 15, stamping their first Playoff series win in 18 years.

“We think we can do anything,”

said Cunningham postgame. “We’ve had our back against the wall, and we stuck together…

“We have a lot of confidence

in who we are as a basketball team – but also as a brotherhood.”

4. ALLEN IGNITES CAVS IN GAME 7, SOLIDIFYING EAST SEMIS

A series that hadn’t given an inch

went the distance – and in Game 7, Jarrett Allen went the extra mile.

Cavaliers 114, Raptors 102:

Tied 49-49 at the half, Allen (

22 pts, 19 reb, 3 blk

) erupted in the 3rd quarter as Cleveland outscored Toronto 38-19 to take control, pulling past Scottie Barnes (24 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) and the Raptors to advance to the East Semis. |

“Man, he really took us

over the top,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson of Allen. “Best performance I’ve seen from him, and I’ve coached him a long time …

“We needed someone

else to step up besides James and Don – and he was just absolutely incredible tonight.”

Center Stage:

Allen, a nine-year vet and the Cavs’ second-longest tenured player (six seasons), had logged 33 Playoff games entering Sunday, but never a Game 7.

In his first,

capping a series that was tied 669-669 in total points through six games – then even at 49 midway through Game 7 – he delivered the separation.

The Explosion:

After entering the break with 6 points, Allen dropped 14 in the 3rd while adding 10 boards and 1 block, turning a tie game into a 19-point lead in just 12 minutes

The Company:

He’s the first player since Nikola Jokić in 2019 to post 20+ pts, 15+ reb and 3+ blk in a Game 7 – and he did it on 63.3% shooting (7-11 FG), with 8 offensive boards

“Amazing,”

said James Harden of Allen’s performance. “His activity, his offensive rebounding, his finishing … 22 & 19 – that’s a game-changer right there.”

😂

Said Allen:

“I thought it was Don

receiving the MVP chants

.”

Allen’s energy sparked

Cleveland’s core: Donovan Mitchell added 22 points, including 15 in the 2nd half, while Harden (18 pts, 6 reb) and Evan Mobley (13 pts, 7 reb) combined for 31 as the Cavs finished with six scorers in double figures.

The team effort

stamped a season-saving response after a heartbreaking Game 6 loss on RJ Barrett’s last-second winner.

But the Cavs

took the punch – then punched their ticket back to the East Semis for a third straight season.

“It’s a mental toughness thing,”

said Atkinson on the win. “That was a tough loss in Toronto … for this team, I think we took another step mentally…

“I think this series

galvanized us.”

Up Next:

The Cavs meet the Pistons, with Game 1 set for Tuesday in Detroit (7 ET, Peacock).

5. TONIGHT ON NBC & PEACOCK: CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS BEGIN

The Sixers

are chasing their first Conference Finals berth since 2001, when Allen Iverson led them to an East title.

The Knicks

were there last year.

The two sides

begin their quests to return tonight at MSG.

76ers at Knicks (8 ET, NBC/Peacock):

Two nights after ousting Boston in seven, the Sixers face another fierce rival in New York – a star-studded squad with a similar one-two punch.

Twin Engines:

Both teams are driven by All-Star guards – Jalen Brunson for New York and Tyrese Maxey for Philly – alongside dominant bigs in Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid

Close Calls:

Their last Playoff meeting? A 2024 First Round showdown that the Knicks took in six, outscoring Philly by just one point (650-649), with five games coming down to clutch time

Brunson Burner:

Leading the charge was Brunson, who averaged 35.5 ppg, including three straight 40-balls (47, 40, 41) to clinch the series

Dead Even:

This year, New York and Philly split the season series 2-2, with the road team taking all four games

Philly Fire:

Maxey has averaged 30 ppg vs. New York this season, while Embiid – limited to just two meetings – enters red-hot, posting 28 ppg this postseason just three weeks after an appendectomy

Wolves at Spurs (9:30 ET, Peacock):

Fresh off a physical, shorthanded series win over Nikola Jokić and Denver, Minnesota now faces another tall task: containing Victor Wembanyama and a young Spurs squad that can flip games in a hurry.

But a big boost

could be on the way.

Ant-Man Return?

After missing the last two games with a left knee hyperextension, Anthony Edwards (28.8 ppg this regular season) is questionable for tonight

Wolves’ Clamps:

While Ant’s status is TBD, Minnesota’s defense remains locked in behind Rudy Gobert, who helped limit Jokić and the Nuggets’ top-ranked offense to 107.5 ppg in the First Round – 14.6 points below its regular season average (122.1)

Gobert’s Next Test?

Wemby, a fellow Frenchman, the

Kia Defensive Player of the Year

and a

Kia MVP finalist

, averaged 21 pts, 8.8 reb and 4 blk in the Spurs’ First-Round win over Portland – the first Playoff series of his career

Surging In Spring:

San Antonio advanced in five, fueled by back-to-back 15+ point comebacks for its first Playoff series win since 2017

But Minnesota has

proven it can beat the 62-win Spurs, as it is one of just three teams to win their season series vs. San Antonio this year (2-1)

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