LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their quest back to the NBA Finals with a first-round matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Here's a roundup of cleveland.com's coverage entering Game 1. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers road back to the NBA Finals begins 3 p.m. Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Below is an index of cleveland.com's coverage leading up to Game 1 of the series, which can be seen on ABC or heard on WTAM-AM 1100. A live chat will be conducted here on cleveland.com.
Series schedule
Game 1: 3 p.m., Sunday in Cleveland (ABC)
Game 2: 8 p.m., Wednesday in Cleveland (TNT)
Game 3: 7 p.m., Friday in Detroit (ESPN)
Game 4: 8:30 p.m., Sunday in Detroit (TNT)
Game 5, if necessary: Time TBA, Tuesday, April 26, in Cleveland (TV TBA)
Projected Game 1 starters
Cavaliers: PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 19.6 points), SG J.R. Smith (6-6 12.4 points), SF LeBron James (6-8, 25.3 points), PF Kevin Love (6-10, 16.0 points), C Tristan Thompson (6-10, 7.8 points).
Pistons: PG Reggie Jackson (6-3, 18.8 points), SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6-5, 14.5 points), SF Tobias Harris (6-9, 16.6 points), PF Marcus Morris (6-9, 14.1 points), C Andre Drummond (6-11, 16.2 points).
'Last supper' sets tone for series, playoffs
25 things that have Terry Talkin'
Van Gundy: Defending LeBron is like pitching to Miguel Cabrera
Back for more
Hold your breath, Cleveland. The Cavaliers lost Kevin Love in the first round last year to injury and, eventually, Kyrie Irving. LeBron James and Co. still willed their way to the Finals.
Can LeBron repeat his best postseason?
Another novice coach, but Lue has James' support
Irving, Love better prepared for this postseason
Livingston: Playoff burden never lessens for LeBron
LeBron enters with three straight East player of the month awards
X's and O's
From the matchup with the Pistons to a greater scope around the league, here is a look at what to watch.
Breaking down the Cavaliers' roster
Breaking down the Pistons' roster
After LeBron, who's the key player in this series?
The five most important matchups
Top pick-and-roll combos this season
Predictions
The Golden State Warriors entered the postseason as heavy favorites. Why not? They did eclipse the Chicago Bulls' 1996 record for wins in a regular season.
Vegas gives Cavaliers third-best odds to win title
Who could keep Cavs from finals?
Reggie Miller: East is Cavs' to lose
One win for Pistons would be an upset
Bud Shaw's You Said It: Are Cavs best bet to challenge Warriors?
Haynes, Vardon, Fedor predict Pistons series
History lessons
The Pistons won the regular-season series, 3-1, but that can be deceiving. Tyronn Lue rested his starters Wednesday in their recent meeting. Kyrie Irving also missed their first game in November while still recovering from knee surgery.
With a look back in mind, here are some numbers to digest for the entire league.
How teams with best record fare in playoffs
East, West much closer this season
In the crowd
The Cavs and Pistons had a dress rehearsal Wednesday to conclude the regular season. It wasn't the same; Cleveland played without its regulars in a 112-110 loss.
However, we caught up with passionate fans for their take.
Fans: What's needed to win a title
Guide to bars, restaurants near The Q
Catch phrase dictionary for Austin Carr, Fred McLeod
Charge fights for entertainment dollars in growing D-League