Published May 14, 2026
In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 117-113 to take a 3-2 lead, with James Harden scoring 30 points and Donovan Mitchell adding 21 points, including seven in overtime.
Max Strus had 20 points and eight rebounds and Evan Mobley had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Cavaliers, who ended their road playoff losing streak at five on Wednesday.
Harden contributed eight rebounds and six assists, and Jarrett Allen contributed 16 points and 10 boards.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said, “You hope it propels us forward. You hope it energizes us. You hope it propels us forward.”
Cade Cunningham had 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Danis Jenkins added 19 points for the Pistons, who will face their fourth loss of the postseason.
“This is a tough loss,” Cunningham said. “Obviously they wanted to protect their court. We couldn’t do that. Leading 3-2 is an advantage for them.”
“(Donovan) struggled a little bit offensively, but that’s why we have a team and players to pick him up,” Harden said. “Max (Strass) came out and made some big shots. Dennis (Schröder) came in and played really well. So this was a team effort.”
Cleveland took control early in overtime, scoring nine of the first 11 points to take a 112-105 lead.
Cunningham’s jump shot with 25.9 seconds left gave Detroit a 113-111 lead, but the Cavaliers shut it out at the free-throw line. Harden and Mobley combined to make 4 of 6 foul shots in the final seconds.
“They started doubling up and taking the ball out of Cade’s hands. We’ll find a way to fix it. We’ll be better,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said.
Cleveland increased its lead to four points early in the fourth quarter, but Detroit fought back with a 15-2 run to take a 100-91 advantage with less than four minutes left.
Cleveland missed its first nine shots of the period, then rallied in the second half, eventually breaking even at 103 on Mobley’s two free throws with 45.2 seconds left. The Cavaliers had a chance to win, but were unable to get a shot on their final possession as time expired.
“It’s important to take advantage of what our opponents are doing that gives us an advantage. We still haven’t done a good enough job of separating guys and getting the ball cleanly to them,” Cunningham said.
The Pistons came out aggressive and took an early 7-2 lead behind Jenkins, who scored all seven of Detroit’s points on an early outburst. Cleveland quickly settled down, and the rest of the first quarter was a back-and-forth battle with four ties and six lead changes.
Detroit took control early in the second quarter with an 18-5 run to take a 47-32 lead. Cleveland went on an 8-0 spurt to get within seven points, but the Pistons forced 10 turnovers and fell behind by 20 points, holding a 60-52 advantage at halftime.
While Detroit struggled offensively, Cleveland turned the tide in the third quarter and the Cavaliers took more care of the ball. The Pistons missed eight of their first 10 shots, and Cleveland erased a halftime deficit to even the score at 68 midway through the quarter.
The Cavaliers had just two turnovers in the quarter and took advantage of Detroit’s cold stretch to close out the game with an 11-3 run and take an 84-80 lead entering the fourth.
“Offensively it wasn’t our best night, but I think that speaks to this win. We found a way, and it’s the first time we’ve done it on the road in the playoffs,” Strus said. “And I think that’s a really big thing that we can build on by making it to the playoffs.”
The Pistons played without starting guard Duncan Robinson, who was out with a sore lower back.
Game 6 of the best-of-seven series will be played Friday in Cleveland.
If the Cavaliers win, Cleveland will advance to the Eastern Conference finals against the Knicks. If Detroit wins, Game 7 will be played on the Pistons’ home floor on Sunday.
