Schedule and 2005-06 Results
Regular Season Records: Detroit 64-18, Cleveland 50-32
Game 1 on Sunday, 07 May: Cleveland loses at Detroit, 113-pts-86
Game 2 on Tuesday, 09 May: Cleveland loses at Detroit, 97-pts-91
Game 3 on Saturday, 13 May: Detroit loses at Cleveland, 86-pts-77
Game 4 on Monday, 15 May: Detroit loses at Cleveland, 74-pts-72
Game 5 on Wednesday, 17 May: Cleveland wins at Detroit, 86-pts-84
Game 6 on Friday, 19 May: Detroit wins at Cleveland, 84-pts-82
Game 7 on Sunday, 21 May: Cleveland loses at Detroit, 79-pts-61

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 79-pts-61, thus winning best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980, 4-games-3. The win improves the Detroit Pistons' best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 21-12. The loss drops the Cleveland Cavaliers' best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 3-4. The win order for the victorious Detroit Pistons in series 980 was WWLLLWW: Series 980 thus becomes the fourth NBA Quarterfinals series, the seventh NBA series (all rounds), and the 18th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order.

After Game 6: The Detroit Pistons visited and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 84-pts-82 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Detroit Pistons have a 4-4 Game 7 record, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 2-0 Game 7 record. MLB/NBA/NHL teams (all rounds) posting a win/site order of WWLLLW @ HHVVHV (such as the Detroit Pistons) have a 9-3 series record and a five-series winning streak, with the latest such win posted by none other than the Detroit Pistons, in series 930 over the New Jersey Nets in the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals.

After Game 5: Posting the first road win of this series, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Pistons in Detroit 86-pts-84 to take a 3-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 3-0 series record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Detroit Pistons have a 3-7 series record. The Cleveland Cavaliers are attempting to become only the second team to 1) open a best-of-7 NBA Quarterfinals series with a win/site order of LLWWW @ VVHHV, and 2) win the series.

After Game 4: The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted and defeated the Detroit Pistons 74-pts-72 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Detroit Pistons have a 9-7 series record; their last decision in this situation was a series loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2005 NBA Finals. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 3-2 series record. In best-of-7 NBA Quarterfinals series through 2005, teams winning Games 1-2 but losing Games 3-4 irrespective of site (such as Detroit) have a 22-3 series record.

After Game 3: The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted and defeated the Detroit Pistons 86-pts-77 to halve the Detroit best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a 13-1 series record with a 13-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 1-2 series record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through the 2005 NBA Preliminary round, teams winning Games 1-2 at home and losing Game 3 on the road in Quarterfinals play have a 44-2 series mark. The two favorable precedents for a Cleveland Cavaliers series win are best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 691 (in which the Houston Rockets rallied to top the Phoenix Suns in the 1995 NBA Quarterfinals) and series 932 (in which the L.A. Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals).

After Game 2: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-pts-91 to take a 2-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Detroit Pistons have an 8-0 series record but a 2-6 Game 3 record and a Game 3 losing streak of six games. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 0-2.

After Game 1: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-pts-86 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 980. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a 17-3 series record with an eight-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 1-3 series record with a three-series losing streak. In series 980 Game 1, Detroit and Cleveland combined for 75 points in the second quarter: Those 75 points tied for the third-most total points ever in the second quarter of a best-of-7 NBA playoff game. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series since 1947, teams winning Game 1 by 27 or more points have a series record of 19-3 with a ten-series winning streak.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2005-06 regular season, Detroit finished 14 games ahead of Cleveland. From 1947 through the 2006 NBA and NHL Preliminary rounds, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 14 regular-season games, they have posted a 13-0 (1.000) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 980 is the seventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Cleveland, and the 33rd for Detroit. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Cleveland has a 3-3 series record, a 2-1 Qtrs-round series record, and a 2-4 Game 1 record, while Detroit has a 20-12 series record, an 8-5 Qtrs-round record, and a 20-12 Game 1 record. Series 980 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Cleveland and Detroit.