Cavs-Pistons Game 7: I’m sticking with Cleveland, even as doubts grow

Everyone seems to be leaning one way.

Spend five minutes around the NBA, scroll a little, listen to the chatter. A lot of smart people are picking the Pistons in Game 7. Hard to blame them. Detroit has been tougher than the Cavaliers. More consistent. Maybe even more sure of who it is.

Still, I’m not moving. I said Cavaliers in seven at the start of this series (on the Full Court Cleveland show), and I’m sticking with it now.

Yes, the Cavs let one slip in Game 6. That was their chance at home, and it looked like it. They were a step slow, a little unsure, nothing like a team ready to close. The Pistons, meanwhile, looked comfortable in the moment again. That’s become a theme.

There’s also the concern everyone keeps bringing up. Turnovers. Shot selection. Late-game execution. Fair points. All of it.

At the same time, the blueprint hasn’t changed.

Feed the bigs. Take pressure off Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Force someone other than Cade Cunningham to beat you. Keep it simple. Keep it clean.

That’s easier said than done, especially on the road.

Game 7 in Detroit is not ideal. Cleveland has one road win this postseason. The building will be loud. The Pistons will believe.

This is where it comes down to stars. Mitchell. Harden. Legacy stuff, whether they want to admit it or not. This is the moment that follows them if it goes sideways.

I get why people are picking Detroit. I just think Cleveland finds a way.

Tight game. Ugly at times. Probably comes down to the final few minutes.

Cavs in seven. Sticking with it.