Cavaliers Hold Off Pistons in OT, Go Up 3-2 in East Semis
Cleveland overcame a late Pistons run to win 117-113 in OT and can close out the series at home Friday. Knicks await the winner.
Cleveland rallied from 15 down to beat Detroit on the road behind Harden, Mitchell, and Mobley, setting up a Game 6 at home...
James Harden led the way as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday, moving one win from the next round of the NBA playoffs.
The Cavaliers got 30 points from veteran James Harden to secure their first road win of the postseason and go up 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final.
Uno helping seal the deal. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/TnNfZAUEa0
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 14, 2026
Cleveland will have a chance to close out the series at home in Game 6 on Friday, with the New York Knicks waiting in the conference finals if they advance.
“This was a great time to finally get a road win,” Harden told ESPN after Cleveland won its third straight and put itself within reach of a first trip to the conference finals since 2018.
Cleveland fell behind by 15 in the first half against top-seeded Detroit, despite Cade Cunningham pouring in 39 points for the Pistons.
The Cavs clawed back in the third, but the fourth quarter swung back and forth. Detroit looked to have seized control with a 12-0 run and went up nine with 3:57 left in regulation.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 14, 2026
Cleveland answered again. Evan Mobley tied it with a dunk and two free throws with 45.2 seconds to go, capping a 13-0 Cavaliers run that stretched from late in the fourth into overtime and put them ahead for good.
Cunningham hit a jumper with 25.9 seconds left in overtime to cut it to two, but Detroit couldn’t get any closer.
Donovan Mitchell finished with 21 points for Cleveland, while Max Strus added 20 off the bench. Jarrett Allen also chipped in with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said Harden’s composure in crunch time was exactly what Cleveland had in mind when they brought in the 36-year-old, three-time scoring champ back in February.
“Big reason we got him, that's what we expected,” Atkinson said.
“He adds a maturity and a poise, calmness to our group, which we needed.”
Cunningham also had nine assists and seven rebounds, while Daniss Jenkins added 19 for Detroit. The Pistons now need a win in Cleveland to force a Game 7 back in Detroit.
Cavs Can’t Take Detroit Lightly
Harden warned that Cleveland, still unbeaten at home in the playoffs, can’t get complacent against a Pistons squad that already came back from 3-1 down to knock out Orlando in round one.
“Very, very crazy team defensively,” he said.
“We've seen what they've done. They've come back from 3-1, so from the beginning of the game we've got to make sure our mindset is right, and we do the small things to finish the series.”
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his team isn’t planning to go down without a fight.
“We're not going to go down without a fight,” he said.
“That's just who we are. We've been in this position before, and we were able to work our way through it.”
Bickerstaff, still frustrated that no foul was called when Jarrett Allen tripped Ausar Thompson on the last play of regulation, said he expects his team to respond.
“I expect our guys to be ready mentally and to go out and compete at a high level and bring this thing back to Detroit,” he added.
“He fouled Ausar. It’s obvious,” Bickerstaff said. “In an end-of-game situation like that, it’s a tough one to swallow.”
Whoever wins will move on to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
The third-seeded Knicks swept Philadelphia 4-0 to make it back to the East finals for a second year in a row.
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) May 14, 2026
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