Story perspectives

Allen’s 22-19 Powers Cleveland Past Detroit in Semifinal Opener

5/4/2026

30 7

Summary

Cleveland Opens

Cleveland opens the Eastern semifinals against Detroit in Game 1 on May 5, 2026, in Detroit.
Games 2–4 are May 7 in Detroit, May 9 (3 p.m.) and May 11 (8 p.m.) in Cleveland.
Tickets start at $102 in Cleveland and $178 in Detroit, BetMGM listing Detroit as 3.5-point favorites, –155 moneyline, 214.5 total.
Jarrett Allen’s 22 points and 19 rebounds gave Cleveland a 114-102 win while Detroit beat Orlando 116-94 as Cade Cunningham scored 32 points in Game 7.

Summary

Pistons Erase Deficit

Detroit Pistons became the 15th NBA team to erase a 3-1 deficit with a 22-point Game 7 win (116-94), a franchise record margin.
Cade Cunningham became only the seventh player with 30+ points and 10 assists in a Game 7.
Franz Wagner missed the final three games with a right-calf strain, removing Orlando’s secondary scorer.
Daniss Jenkins, from a two-way contract, scored 14 points and hit four threes in Game 7.

Summary

Pistons Projected Win

The Basketball Power Index projects the Pistons to win by 10.4 points (79%) and the Cavaliers to beat the Raptors by 3.3 points (60%).
SportsLine’s 10,000-possession predicts the Pistons-Magic total will exceed 201.5 in 70% of runs and the Cavs-Raptors total in 68% of simulations.
Model projects James Harden 7.6 assists (over 6.5), Donovan Mitchell 5.5 assists (over 4.5), and Cade Cunningham 32 points in Game 7.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 the Houston Rockets became the NBA’s first team to erase a 3-1 Western Conference Finals deficit and went on to win the championship. That comeback set a precedent for rare series reversals; as of 2026 the Pistons’ 3-1 rally marks the latest of only 15 NBA teams ever to pull off such a comeback.

1 of 4

Cleveland Opens

Cleveland opens the Eastern semifinals against Detroit in Game 1 on May 5, 2026, in Detroit.
Games 2–4 are May 7 in Detroit, May 9 (3 p.m.) and May 11 (8 p.m.) in Cleveland.
Tickets start at $102 in Cleveland and $178 in Detroit, BetMGM listing Detroit as 3.5-point favorites, –155 moneyline, 214.5 total.
Jarrett Allen’s 22 points and 19 rebounds gave Cleveland a 114-102 win while Detroit beat Orlando 116-94 as Cade Cunningham scored 32 points in Game 7.

1 / 4