Game 7s have been kind to Cavaliers, Pistons over the years. But one will fall on Sunday

Game 7. That's a phrase that surely brings back a lot of good memories for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

Of course, only one of those groups will be happy on Sunday night.

For the second consecutive round, the Cavaliers and Pistons are heading to a winner-take-all contest. Detroit plays host to Cleveland on Sunday night in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, with the winner set to face New York in the East finals starting Tuesday.

Detroit is 6-1 in Game 7s since 1990, while Cleveland is 5-0 in Game 7s since 2016 — with two of those wins coming in road games.

“I’ve seen this movie before,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s tough. It’s hard. And it should be hard. The good thing is we’ve put ourselves in a position to have a Game 7. But this is what it’s about. Playoffs are hard. We’ve got to close it out in Game 7.”

Cleveland's seven-game win in Round 1 this season was over Toronto; Detroit's seven-game win in Round 1 this season was over Orlando. The Cavaliers and Pistons both got to be at home for those games; Cleveland doesn't have that luxury this time around.

The Cavs won Game 5 in Detroit to take command — albeit briefly — of the series, then lost 115-94 with a chance to close out the series at home on Friday. So, back to Detroit they go.

“It’s one game on the road. There’s no other way to put it,” Cavaliers guard James Harden said. “You’ve got to be detailed, you’ve got to get off for a really good start, and you’ve got to maintain and sustain it for an entire game, however long that takes. It really is just one game. Not saying you’ve got to be perfect, but we’ve got to do the details that we’ve been preaching.”

The Pistons are now 4-0 this season when facing elimination after Friday's victory. They won four elimination games — total — in the last 20 seasons combined, though in fairness most of those years came and went without Detroit even making the playoffs.

But this team is different. A 14-win laughingstock of a club two seasons ago held the No. 1 seed in the East for almost this entire season, and a sense of poise seems to have grown from that success.

“We stay in the moment,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. “We don't get ahead of ourselves. But most importantly, we stick together. When things get ugly or whatever, we come together, we talk, we get back in the moment and then we move forward from there.”

Added Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff: "They just don't quit. The resolve that they have, the belief that they have in one another, they just have the ability to bounce back mentally where they don't hang onto things. Quarters don't bother them. Halves don't bother them. They just move on to the next play, stay moment to moment and try to win what's in front of them.”

Sunday's winner will be the sixth team in this playoff format (the NBA began using best-of-seven series in Round 1 in 2003) to advance to the conference finals after winning Game 7s in both Round 1 and Round 2.

The others:

— Dallas, 2003

The Mavs went 60-22 in the 2002-03 season and were the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They beat Portland 4-3 in Round 1, Sacramento 4-3 in Round 2, but fell in six games to San Antonio in the West finals.

— Phoenix, 2006

The Suns went 54-28 in the 2005-06 season and were the No. 2 seed in the West. They beat the Lakers 4-3 in Round 1, the Clippers 4-3 in Round 2, but fell in six games to Dallas in the West finals.

— Boston, 2008

The Celtics won the NBA title in 2007-08 the hard — really hard — way. Boston went 66-16 to grab the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, then needed seven games to topple both Atlanta in Round 1 and Cleveland in Round 2. The Celtics beat Detroit in six games to win the East finals, then beat the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals.

Toronto, 2016

The Raptors went 56-26 in 2015-16 and were the No. 2 seed in the East. They needed seven games to beat Indiana in Round 1 and Miami in Round 2, then lost in six games to Cleveland in the East finals.

Denver, 2020

In the bubble season the Nuggets finished 46-27 to grab the West's No. 3 seed. They beat Utah 4-3 in Round 1, the Clippers 4-3 in Round 2 — rallying from 3-1 down in both of those series — then lost to the Lakers 4-1 in the West finals.

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Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden (1) shoots as Detroit Pistons' Caris LeVert (8) defends in the second half of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Friday, May 15, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, right, shoots past Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley, left, in the second half of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Friday, May 15, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson shouts in the first half of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Friday, May 15, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) gestures as he comes back into the game in the second half of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson, left, and Cleveland Cavalirs' Max Strus, center, reach for the ball over Caris LeVert, right, in the first half of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Friday, May 15, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

MUNICH (AP) — A four-game winning streak. A star player who is half German.

There might not be a better time for the Detroit Lions to play a game in Munich. There's talk of a “takeover.”

“Now that we’re winning, our fans have traveled everywhere we go,” coach Dan Campbell said Friday after the team arrived in Bavaria ahead of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

“We almost feel like it’s been a takeover in some of these stadiums we’re at. Not every fan base is that way," he said. "Ours is that way. And so you come over here and our fan base comes and then you see this and the support that you feel here in Munich, in this country. It’s pretty inspiring.”

The Lions haven't played an international game since 2015. They bring a 6-2 record to Munich in what is technically a home game. It helps, too, that star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has a German mother and speaks the language fluently.

They are one of 11 NFL teams that have league-granted marketing rights in Germany, allowing them to sign commercial deals, build brand awareness and hold fan activations.

“We’re thrilled to be here to bring Detroit to the world and to have this opportunity to build the Detroit Lions’ brand and to continue to build our fan base and to engage with all the fans we have here in Germany and here in Europe,” team president and CEO Rich Haddad said.

“Walking around downtown,” he added, “it’s incredible to see how much Honolulu Blue is already here in Munich. It’s only going to grow over the next couple days. It’s been an incredible opportunity for our fans here in Germany and our fans who have come over from the United States and beyond.”

Campbell was asked to describe the Motor City to German fans.

“Well, it’s a blue-collar city and we have blue-collar fans. They’re very much all about hard work. We don’t have the beach,” he said. “The summers are unbelievable, but things come a little bit harder out in that area.”

The people, he said, would “give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.”

Hired in 2021, Campbell said he aimed to "build a team that they could relate to. We want to be a team that they can look at and say: ‘I respect that. I respect the way they go about their business.’ ... And so those are really the type of fans we have, man. Just good wholesome people that really care about each other. They put in good day's work and man, they back us up and support the heck out of us and we love them to death.”

Edge rusher DJ Wonnum (concussion) was a full participant at practice all week and doesn't have a game designation, indicating he's ready to play. ... RB Sione Vaki (ankle) practiced Friday for the first time this week. He was limited and is questionable for Sunday. Vaki can provide valuable breathers for Jahmyr Gibbs.

S Kerby Joseph (knee), C Cade Mays (ankle) and CB D.J. Reed (hip) did not travel to Munich and had already been ruled out for Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addresses the media during a press conference before an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 ahead of the game between the Lions and the New England Patriots on Sunday. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) arrives for an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addresses the media during a press conference before an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 ahead of the game between the Lions and the New England Patriots on Sunday. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) warms up during an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell arrives for a press conference before an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 ahead of the game between the Lions and the New England Patriots on Sunday. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)