Winners, losers from NBA playoffs: Cavaliers trounce Pistons in Game 7

Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have only one truly elite three-point shooter, and he was truly elite in Game 7. Sam Merrill scored 23 points, shot 5-for-8 from three-point range, went 7-for-10 and made all four of his free throws. His outside shooting is crucial for the Cavs team, punishing defenses for sending too much attention at Mitchell or sending doubles against Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen in the post.

Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Jarrett Allen has now dominated a Game 7 twice in the 2026 playoffs. Against the Toronto Raptors in their Game 7 win, Allen had 22 points and 19 rebounds. Against the Pistons on Sunday, Allen had 23 points and seven rebounds and pushed All-Star Jalen Duren around. Literally.

Not only did Allen help hold Duren to under 10 points per game and seven points in Game 7, but he also drew fouls on the offensive end. Allen went 29-for-43 from the foul line in the series, which could be crucial against another All-Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns, who has a tendency to get in foul trouble. 

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks might have preferred a closer climactic game with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals starting just 48 hours later in NYC. Still, the Knicks will have a full week of extra rest when the series begins, while Harden and Mitchell played 36 and 31 minutes Sunday, respectively.

Losers

Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Duren and Tobias Harris are both hitting free agency this summer, and they didn't leave a good impression at the end of the series. Harris had been on a hot streak earlier in the playoffs, but he didn't make a shot from the field and scored only five points in Game 7 after scoring six in Game 6. From Games 4-7, Harris shot 14-for-45 (31.1 percent) and 3-for-16 on three-pointers.

Duren is hitting restricted free agency after averaging 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, well down from his 19.5 points and 10.5 boards in the regular season. Getting definitively outplayed by Allen and Evan Mobley won't help his case for a big contract this summer.

Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons

Ausar Thompson has a reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He's also developing a reputation as a player who takes out his frustration on opponents.

Thompson pushed down Max Strus in the fourth quarter, with the Pistons trailing by 34 points. Earlier in the game, he lowered his shoulder and crashed into Merrill for a blatant offensive foul. He also got called for a technical at the end of the third quarter, giving the Cavs an extra point when they were already leading by 26 points.

It's a bad look for Thompson, and it feels like bad sportsmanship, even cheap shots. Thompson needs to be better than this because he's a truly special defensive player.

Home-court advantage

The Pistons stayed alive by winning Game 6 on the road, then returned home for Game 7 on Sunday and got trounced. The Timberwolves had an elimination game at home on Friday and lost by 30. Meanwhile, Knicks fans took over the 76ers' home arena, and the Cavaliers sent 25 buses of fans to Game 7 in Detroit.

Getting the top seeds is supposed to be a reward for regular-season excellence. In the East, teams are just 3-2 in Game 7s at home.