Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland stuck with the heavyweight Pistons for six games and three quarters. But the Eastern Conference Champs did what they do best – play lock-down defense – and used a 12-2 run late in the third to push past the scrappy Cavaliers.

With the 79-61 loss, the Wine and Gold’s season comes to an end, a few days later than most experts could have predicted, after dropping the last two games of the seven-game semifinal series at Auburn Hills. The Cavaliers have no reason to hang their heads after taking the 64-win Pistons to the brink of elimination – especially after dropping the first two contests at the Palace.

Cleveland was within a bucket, 40-38, at the half and trailed by only two with 3:23 left in the third period. But Lindsey Hunter keyed a late Pistons rally and by the end of the quarter, Detroit’s lead had grown to 10, 58-48.

The Pistons held the Cavaliers to only 10 points in the quarter and limited the Cavaliers to only 13 more in the fourth. The Wine and Gold were good on only five field goals in the second half, shooting an anemic 19 percent from the floor. The Pistons pushed their lead to 18 points in the fourth period, and the Central Division Champs never looked back.

LeBron James had 21 points at intermission, but Detroit threw everything they had at him in the second half. James went just 1-for-9 in the second stanza, finishing with a game-high 27 points. James added eight boards and a pair of assists before being lifted late in the fourth quarter and the game in-hand for the Pistons.

“You’ve got to keep your head up,” said LeBron following the tough loss. “We did a wonderful job in this series and the playoffs, so we have no reason to hang our heads about anything.”

The Cavaliers played tough defense with Detroit the entire series, but they got a clinic in tenacious D on Sunday afternoon in Auburn Hills. The Pistons held the Cavaliers to 30 percent shooting – including a dominating 8 percent (1-12) from three-point range. They out-rebounded Cleveland, 48-36, and forced the Cavaliers into 12 turnovers.

Mike Brown’s squad scored 23 points in the second quarter and 38 in the other three combined. The Cavaliers’ 61-point output was a franchise low in the postseason.

“I’m not satisfied,” lamented Mike Brown, flanked by his two sons at the postgame presser. “This hurts me and it hurts everybody in that locker room. But I’m proud of every single one of those guys wearing a Cavs uniform.”

The only other Cavalier to notch double-figures was Larry Hughes, who played his first game for Cleveland in over a week, following the tragic death of his younger brother, Justin. Hughes finished with 10 points, but scored five of those from the free throw line. In what is hopefully a preview for next season, Hughes added six boards and five assists in just 25 minutes of action.

Only Zydrunas Ilgauskas flirted with success, scoring eight points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Aside from Hughes, the Cavaliers’ backcourt – Eric Snow, Flip Murray and Damon Jones – went a combined 2-for-14 from the floor. Their power forwards – Donyell Marshall and Drew Gooden – combined to go 0-for-9.

“There’s never satisfaction when we lose,” said Jones. “Especially when you had an opportunity to advance. We didn’t take advantage of those situations and when you’re facing a team like the Pistons that has championship experience, you only get so many chances.”

The Pistons boasted four of five starters in double-figures, led by Tayshaun Prince, who netted 20 points to go with seven boards. Prince and Rip Hamilton took turns guarding James, and did an admirable job on the young King throughout the second half.

“I knew the position we were in and we didn’t want to let it slip away once again,” said Prince.

Hamilton followed up with 15 points, Rasheed Wallace added 13 and Chauncey Billups pitched in with a dozen points and eight rebounds. Ben Wallace led both clubs with nine boards.

“In pressure situations, you always do what you do best and for us, it’s defend,” said Pistons coach Flip Saunders. “Sometimes it’s tough to play both ends at a high level in a high-intensity situation, but tonight we locked down.”

The Cavaliers should be proud of their postseason run – topping Washington in an emotional six-game series and giving the Pistons all they could handle after dropping the first two in convincing fashion. But they’ll have all summer to wonder what might have been and will point to the Pistons prolonged possessions late in Game 6, when Cleveland was unable to grab a defensive rebound.

In all, however, there is nothing but good things on the horizon for the Wine and Gold. They received an invaluable education in the 2006 postseason. And they have the best player in the game to build around.