Cleveland Cavaliers advance to NBA Eastern Conference Finals after thrashing Detroit Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed top seeds the Detroit Pistols 125-94 in their series decider to secure a place in the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Sam Merrill and Jarrett Allen 23 and Evan Mobley 21 for the Cavaliers, while Daniss Jenkins was the Pistons' highest scorer with 17.

Cleveland, who lost the first two games of the series, raced into a 20-point lead in the first half before wrapping up a 4-3 series win at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The fourth seeds will face third seeds the New York Knicks for a place in the NBA Finals,, external with game one at Madison Square Garden in New York at 01:00 BST on Wednesday.

"This is fantastic. But we've got to be more disciplined," Mitchell said.

"We shouldn't have to wait to get hit, to get punched in the mouth and face a go-home situation."

Detroit, who finished the regular season with a 60-22 record, have not reached the Eastern Conference finals since 2005.

The Cavaliers or Knicks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

The Western Conference finals begin at 01:30 BST on Tuesday in Oklahoma.