Cavs Storm Back, Take Control Of Series With 3-2 Lead
The Cleveland Cavaliers are now one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cleveland erased a late deficit Wednesday night and stunned the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The comeback marked the Cavs’ first road playoff win of the postseason.
Game 6 is set for Friday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Cavs can clinch their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2018 with a win.
Cleveland trailed by nine points with roughly three minutes left in regulation before closing the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run. They then outscored Detroit 14-10 in overtime to steal the game on the road.
James Harden delivered his biggest game yet in a Cavaliers uniform. The Beard put up 30 points while adding eight rebounds and six assists. He repeatedly attacked Detroit late and helped stabilize Cleveland during crunch time.
Donovan Mitchell finished with 21 points despite struggling for stretches offensively. Mitchell still delivered seven points during overtime and helped close the door late.
The series now presents a major opportunity for Mitchell personally. Despite multiple playoff appearances during his career, Mitchell has never reached a conference finals. Friday night gives him another chance to finally break through.
Evan Mobley added 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Max Strus chipped in 20 points for Cleveland.
Detroit received a huge performance from Cade Cunningham, who poured in 39 points in the loss.
The winner of a tied NBA playoff series after Game 5 historically advances more than 80 percent of the time. Cleveland now holds that advantage heading into Friday night.
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