The Pistons advanced to the conference finals for the fourth straight season. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)
The Pistons were pushed beyond anything most people envisioned during this Eastern Conference Semifinals series, but Detroit's 79-61 win over Cleveland on Sunday demonstrated exactly why they expect to return to the NBA Finals. Playing with energy and intensity all day on the defensive end, the Pistons were able to make stops consistently while holding the Cavs to 23 points after halftime. Tayshaun Prince led Detroit with 20 points and added seven rebounds. Ben Wallace was the defensive anchor, collecting nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals. LeBron James scored 21 of his team-high 27 points in the first half to keep Cleveland in the game. The Pistons held a 40-38 lead at the half, but a 10-2 run to end the third quarter gave Detroit some breathing room. The Pistons will now face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight postseason. Game 1 will be on Tuesday in Detroit (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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