Donovan Mitchell put the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back on Tuesday—and carried them to a series-tying win with one of the greatest halves in NBA playoff history.
Mitchell tied the NBA playoff record for points in a second half with 39—matching Eric “Sleepy” Floyd’s mark set against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987—as the Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons, 112-103, to even their Eastern Conference second-round series at 2-2. Mitchell had a chance to break the record outright with a final free throw in the closing seconds but missed the second attempt. He finished with 43 points for the game.
Game 5 is Thursday in Detroit.
The Cavaliers Run That Changed Everything
Cleveland trailed 56-52 at halftime. The Pistons had just finished a 23-5 run in the first half that featured 10 points from Caris LeVert, with Detroit going 9-for-13 from the field during that stretch while the Cavaliers shot 2-for-14 and missed all 8 three-point attempts. The game looked like it was slipping away.
Then Mitchell took over.
Starting with the final 12 seconds of the first half and extending through the first six minutes of the third quarter, Cleveland went on a 24-0 run—the longest in any NBA playoff game since the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest such run in Cavaliers postseason history in the play-by-play era. Cleveland went 10-for-12 from the field, made three three-pointers, and converted five Detroit turnovers into 9 points during the stretch. Mitchell scored 15 of those 24 points himself.
The Pistons never recovered. Cleveland’s largest lead reached 21 points in the fourth quarter, and the Cavaliers remained unbeaten at home in 6 playoff games.
Mitchell’s Supporting Cast Held Up
James Harden posted his 40th career playoff double-double—24 points and 11 assists—and was the one who set the early tone, scoring 11 of his points in the first five minutes to help Cleveland jump out to a 16-5 lead before Detroit’s run came. Evan Mobley finished with 17 points, 5 blocks, and 3 steals in a two-way performance that gave the Cavaliers interior control when they needed it most.
For Detroit, LeVert’s 24 points—a season high—were not enough to compensate for what fell apart in the third quarter. Cade Cunningham scored 19, the first time he has been held below 20 in 11 playoff games this season. Tobias Harris added 16.
What It All Means
This series has been a back-and-forth battle from the start, and Tuesday’s game added a layer of history that neither team will forget. Mitchell nearly rewrote the record books. He settled for tying one that has stood for nearly 40 years. The missed free throw at the end—the one that would have made it 40—will be a footnote. The 24-0 run that turned the game will not.
The series is level. Detroit goes home for Game 5 needing to win on its own floor to retake the lead. Cleveland has now won both of its home games in this series.
Neither team is done. Not even close.
