Sam Merrill’s 23 points unlocked Cleveland’s spacing — Why Detroit never recovered

How Donovan Mitchell is reacting to Pistons vs. Cavaliers game 7 result

Sam Merrill came up big for the Cavaliers, scoring 23 points off the bench—a playoff record for a Cleveland reserve. His points didn’t come out of nowhere either. They were a sign that Detroit had finally lost control of the spacing battle, something they’d managed well through most of the series.

Despite what turned into a lopsided result, Donovan Mitchell showed respect for how Detroit competed. After wrapping up a hard-fought series that went the distance, he spoke honestly about what made them such a difficult opponent to put away.

Speaking after Game 7, Mitchell said: “There’s something over there in Detroit. We have high praise and respect for what they’re building over there.”

Cleveland won three straight games to finish the series after falling behind 3-1, but it wasn’t as simple as just hitting shots or getting stops. Detroit made them earn every one of those wins by forcing them to make real adjustments on both ends.