First-round Results: Cleveland | Detroit

SECOND-ROUND SERIES RESULTS  (HOME team in CAPS)

Detroit wins 4-3 SU (Cleveland 5-2 ATS)
UNDER 5-2

5/21/06 - Game 7: DETROIT 79, Cleveland 61 (ATS winner: Detroit -8.5 | UNDER 177)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Pistons outscored the Cavs in three of the four quarters, including the fourth for the first time in the series.  In fact, Detroit held Cleveland to only 23 points in the second half, tying the fewest points ever scored in a half of a playoff game since the shot clock was introduced en route to an easy UNDER.  The Pistons extended a 40-38 halftime lead to 58-48 at the end of three and pulled away in the fourth to ensure the cover. 

5/19/06 - Game 6: Detroit 84, CLEVELAND 82 (ATS winner: Cleveland +5.5 | UNDER 177)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: Three huge offensive rebounds allowed the Pistons to run off nearly a minute of time after the Cavs pulled to within 83-81 on a pair of free throws by LeBron James with 1:04 remaining.  Rasheed Wallace missed two shots and a two free throws in the final minute for Detroit, but his teammates made sure they kept the ball and ran valuable time off the clock until Billups was fouled again with 11 seconds left and split a pair for an 84-81 lead.  James was fouled with two seconds remaining and split two free throws, the last of which was intentionally missed in hopes of getting a rebound basket to send the game to overtime.  Cleveland managed to keep it close again and cover, and another low-scoring affair pushed the game UNDER.

5/17/06 - Game 5: Cleveland 86, DETROIT 84 (ATS winner: Cleveland +11 | UNDER 179.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Cavaliers were never in danger of failing to cover the spread, building a 63-53 lead in the third quarter and holding off the Pistons on Drew Gooden's layup with 27 seconds left.  Cleveland gave Detroit a taste of its own medicine yet again, keeping the game defensive for another easy UNDER. 

5/15/06 - Game 4: CLEVELAND 74, Detroit 72 (ATS winner: Cleveland +6 | UNDER 183)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Cavs outscored the Pistons 21-13 in the fourth quarter, turning a 6-point deficit at the end of the third into a 2-point victory.  Both teams scored 20 points or less in three of the four quarters to send the total UNDER.

5/13/06 - Game 3: CLEVELAND 86, Detroit 77 (ATS winner: Cleveland +4.5 | UNDER 186)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: Cleveland took control of this game in the fourth quarter, outscoring Detroit, 33-21.  LeBron James scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth for the Cavs and also finished with 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the playoffs.  Cleveland had scored less than 20 points in each of the first three quarters, and both teams combined for just 31 in the third to help the game go UNDER. 

5/9/06 - Game 2: DETROIT 97, Cleveland 91 (ATS winner: Cleveland +10.5 | OVER 186.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: Detroit again jumped on Cleveland early en route to a 52-36 halftime lead.  However, the Cavs used a huge fourth quarter to not only cover the spread but also push the total OVER.  Cleveland outscored the Pistons 31-19 in the fourth, getting as close as 92-87 with 1:13 remaining.  Drew Gooden's slam dunk with 11 seconds left was the difference in the game going OVER after LeBron James and Rip Hamilton each made a pair of free throws.

5/7/06 - Game 1: DETROIT 113, Cleveland 86 (ATS winner: Detroit -10.5 | OVER 183.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Pistons hit 10 3-pointers in the first half en route to a 21-point halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way.  The two teams combined for 75 points in the second quarter to help the total go OVER.  Detroit added five more 3-pointers in the second half while Cleveland's LeBron James failed to score another point after totaling all of his 22 points in the first half.

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

Detroit wins 3-1 SU & ATS
UNDER 4-0

4/12/06 - DETROIT 96, Phoenix 73 (ATS winner: Detroit -8 | UNDER 183)
2/27/06 - Detroit 84, CLEVELAND 72 (ATS winner: Detroit -3 | UNDER 182.5)
2/26/06 - DETROIT 90, Cleveland 78 (ATS winner: Detroit -9 | UNDER 185)
12/31/05 - CLEVELAND 97, Detroit 84 (ATS winner: Cleveland +3 | UNDER 195.5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECAP: How did Cavs star LeBron James fare against the Pistons this season?  That's really all you need to know about the regular-season matchup between Cleveland and Detroit.  James scored 30 points in the first meeting, making 11-of-22 shots in a 97-84 win for the Cavaliers.  He averaged 23.3 points in the other three meetings - all Cleveland losses - shooting 43 percent from the field.  The Cavs had won 11 of 12 going into the latest meeting on April 12th but were put in their place by the defending Eastern Conference champions, as James limped off with a sprained ankle.