After squandering a two-game lead, Detroit faces a pivotal must-win showdown to halt Cleveland's surging momentum and keep their championship aspirations alive in a high-stakes Game 5.
The Detroit Pistons are aiming to reclaim the lead in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Detroit had full control of the playoff series, opening up a 2-0 lead to begin the second round before dropping the last pair of games to the Cavs.
The momentum that Cleveland has built puts the Pistons in danger of completely losing control. That makes Wednesday night’s Game 5 a true must-win for the club.
For more on the latest developments around the Pistons’ health, Pistons Roundtable writer Eric Ritter has more.
The Pistons were pushed to seven games in order to fend off the eight-seed Orlando Magic and would like to avoid another maxed-out series. But in any case, the team will have to endure a six-game second round ahead of taking on the fiery New York Knicks.
New York has been awaiting the end of the Detroit-Cleveland series since Sunday after completing their sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks will end up with at least a full week of rest before the taking on their next opponent.
That’s a gut punch to the Pistons, who began their series strong but have started to let things get away from them.
They’ll need to avoid things getting out of hand next by getting a a series-defining victory Wednesday night.
Across the bracket, the San Antonio Spurs took a 3-2 series lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves as the two teams exchange leverage in their competitive series. The winner gets the arduous task of taking on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who are presently undefeated in the postseason.