By JOE REEDY<\/p>\n
Detroit\u2019s Cade Cunningham and Cleveland\u2019s Donovan Mitchell didn\u2019t have much time to revel in reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals after surviving grueling first-round matchups.<\/p>\n
The Central Division rivals must quickly prepare for their series, which starts Tuesday night in Detroit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve already moved on (to focusing on Detroit). I will enjoy watching the games for sure as I get treatment, but waiting on Tuesday, simple as that,\u201d Mitchell said after Sunday night\u2019s 114-102 victory<\/a> over the Toronto Raptors.<\/p>\n Both teams feel battle-tested after being taken to the limit in the first round. The two series, though, were different.<\/p>\n The top-seeded Pistons reached the second round for the first time since 2008 after becoming the 15th team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the way that we would\u2019ve drew it up, but we\u2019ll take it,\u201d Cunningham said after Sunday\u2019s 116-94 win<\/a>. \u201cI think that\u2019s the way it\u2019s meant to be. I think we\u2019re going to be better for it, and I\u2019m excited for what\u2019s to come first. Playoff win. I want to get plenty more.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cavaliers are in the second round for the third straight season. Their matchup against the Raptors was the only first-round series in which the home team won all seven games.<\/p>\n \u201cToronto did some unbelievable things. They prepared us for Detroit, but we know we\u2019re facing a really good team,\u201d said Cavaliers guard James Harden. \u201cThey got Cade, who\u2019s the head of the snake, who\u2019s playing well, Tobias Harris, who\u2019s been playing extremely well. We\u2019ll figure out what they like to do, figure out what we want to do, and just take it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Cleveland and Detroit split the four regular-season meetings.<\/p>\n Grudge match?<\/p>\n J.B. Bickerstaff was Cleveland\u2019s coach for five seasons, 2019-24, and guided the Cavaliers to a pair of postseason appearances. Bickerstaff was fired after the 2023-24 season and a second-round exit to Boston in five games after clashes with the front office and players.<\/p>\n Bickerstaff was hired by Detroit<\/a> and has guided the Pistons to a pair of playoff berths and the Eastern Conference\u2019s best record this season. It was the first time the Pistons won 60 games since 2005-06. He is a finalist for the NBA\u2019s coach of the year and agreed to a contract extension<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n The Cavaliers were the East\u2019s top seed last year in Kenny Atkinson\u2019s first season before being eliminated in five games by Indiana in the second round.<\/p>\n Help for Cunningham<\/p>\n Cunningham scored 227 points against the Magic, the fifth-most first-round points in NBA playoff history. His 32.4 points per game average is second in the postseason behind Oklahoma City\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.8). Tobias Harris has picked up some of the slack, averaging 21.6 points, but it falls off from there, with Jalen Duren next at 10.6.<\/p>\n Cleveland has four players averaging at least 11.4 points, with its core four of Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combining to average 73.2.<\/p>\n In the middle<\/p>\n Centers Allen and Duren helped their teams advance with strong performances in Game 7. Both will need to sustain that effort in the upcoming series.<\/p>\n Allen had 22 points and 19 rebounds in the Cavaliers\u2019 clinching win over the Raptors. He recorded at least two blocked shots in six straight games, and his 16 blocks are tied for the most in the playoffs. The nine-year veteran averaged 11.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in the first round.<\/p>\n Duren, who averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the regular season, struggled against the Magic before going for 15 points and 15 rebounds in Game 7.<\/p>\n Streaking along<\/p>\n Cleveland has won 12 straight playoff games against Detroit, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins against an opponent. The streak began in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers took the final four games to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. Cleveland swept Toronto in four games in the first round in 2009 and \u201916.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on \u2026<\/p>\n Mitchell in Game 1. The all-star guard has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers.<\/p>\n Mitchell is averaging 33.1 points in series openers, second-highest in NBA history for a player who has taken part in at least 10 postseason series. His playoff average of 27.8 points is seventh-best among players with at least 50 games.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n