The Cleveland Cavaliers had a golden opportunity to close out the series Friday night, but instead delivered one of their ugliest performances of the postseason. Cleveland shot under 40pe from the field, turned the ball over 20 times, and got completely outplayed by a desperate Detroit Pistons squad that controlled the game for most of the night.
James Harden fought to keep the Cavaliers alive with another aggressive offensive performance, but the lack of execution around him proved fatal as Detroit forced a Game 7 with a convincing 115-94 victory. Here are the Cavs player ratings, which won’t feature criticism of James Harden, but rather of Donovan Mitchell.
James Harden: B+
Stats: 23 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL, 8 TOV, FG 6-13, 3-PT FG 3-8, FT 8-10, MIN 37
Harden was far from perfect, but without him, this game would have turned into a complete embarrassment much earlier. He attacked downhill aggressively, generated free throws, and created nearly every clean offensive look Cleveland managed to produce. His defensive activity also stood out with four steals.
The turnovers, however, were brutal. Detroit’s pressure clearly bothered Cleveland’s offense, and Harden’s eight turnovers fueled several momentum-changing runs. Some were the result of teammates failing to execute, while others were simply careless passes under pressure. Still, he was one of the only Cavaliers who consistently looked ready for the moment offensively.
Jarrett Allen: B
Stats: 13 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, FG 5-6, FT 3-4, MIN 30
Jarrett Allen was one of the few Cavaliers who consistently played with force. He finished efficiently inside, battled on the offensive glass, and gave Cleveland second-chance opportunities when the offense completely stalled. Detroit had success attacking Cleveland’s perimeter defense, but Allen at least provided resistance near the rim.
The frustrating part is Cleveland never fully leaned into him offensively despite his efficiency. In a game where jumpers weren’t falling, it felt like Allen should have gotten even more touches around the basket. Still, he competed hard and avoided the offensive chaos surrounding him.
Sam Merrill: C+
Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, FG 3-6, 3-PT FG 2-5, FT 2-2, MIN 20
Merrill quietly gave Cleveland quality offensive minutes off the bench. He knocked down shots confidently and provided some much-needed spacing during stretches where the Cavaliers looked completely stagnant.
The issue, as always, is defense. Detroit targeted him frequently, and Cleveland struggled containing dribble penetration when he was on the floor. Still, compared to several other Cavaliers role players, Merrill at least contributed offensively and showed some composure under pressure.
Evan Mobley: C+
Stats: 18 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 3 TOV, FG 6-14, 3-PT FG 2-5, FT 4-8, MIN 36
Evan Mobley’s stat line looks respectable, but the game itself felt frustrating. He had moments defensively where his length completely disrupted Detroit’s offense, yet those stretches were offset by inconsistent aggression offensively and costly missed free throws.
There were possessions where Mobley looked ready to take over, especially attacking mismatches, but the assertiveness disappeared too often. Cleveland desperately needed him to dominate physically against Detroit’s frontcourt, and instead the Pistons repeatedly won the energy battle inside. It wasn’t a disaster, but it also wasn’t nearly enough from a player of his caliber.
Donovan Mitchell: C
Stats: 18 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 3 TOV, FG 6-20, 3-PT FG 2-6, FT 4-4, MIN 37
Mitchell never found any rhythm offensively, and Detroit’s defense deserves credit for making life miserable for him all night. The Pistons loaded up on his drives, forced difficult jumpers, and turned nearly every possession into a grind.
Still, Cleveland needed their superstar scorer to respond better. Too many possessions ended with forced shots, rushed decisions, or empty isolation plays that completely stalled the offense. Mitchell had some solid moments attacking the basket late, but by then the damage was already done. This was one of his roughest playoff performances of the series.
Dean Wade: D
Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB, FG 1-2, 3-PT FG 1-2, MIN 22
Wade’s role is simple: defend, rebound, and knock down open shots. Unfortunately, he barely impacted any of those areas consistently Friday night. Cleveland needed energy and physicality from its role players, but Wade faded into the background for long stretches while Detroit’s wings dictated the tempo.
His lone three-pointer was one of the few offensive highlights, but overall, the Cavaliers needed much more activity from a starter playing over 20 minutes in an elimination-type atmosphere. This felt like a game where Cleveland badly missed any sort of spark from him.
Dennis Schroder: D
Stats: 0 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 3 TOV, FG 0-4, 3-PT FG 0-1, MIN 15
This was a nightmare performance from Schroder. Cleveland inserted him hoping for pace and stability, but instead the offense became even sloppier during his minutes. The three turnovers were especially damaging because Detroit immediately converted mistakes into transition opportunities.
When Schroder isn’t scoring or applying pressure at the rim, his impact drops dramatically. Friday night he looked hesitant offensively and completely out of sync. The Cavaliers needed a calming veteran presence off the bench and got the opposite.
Max Strus: D+
Stats: 6 PTS, 8 REB, 1 TOV, FG 2-9, 3-PT FG 2-7, MIN 30
After his explosive Game 5 shooting performance, Strus completely cooled off at the worst possible time. Cleveland desperately needed spacing and perimeter shot-making, but Strus couldn’t capitalize on several clean looks.
To his credit, he competed hard on the glass and continued hustling defensively despite the poor shooting night. But this game ultimately came down to Cleveland’s inability to score efficiently, and Strus’ cold perimeter shooting became a major factor in that collapse.
Jaylon Tyson: N/A
Stats: 2 PTS, FG 1-1, MIN 2
Tyson barely played, but he brought energy during his short appearance and immediately attacked offensively. There simply weren’t enough minutes to make any real impact.
At this point in the playoffs, rotation trust matters heavily, and Cleveland clearly wasn’t comfortable extending his role in such an important game.
