Despite being down throughout the final quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to pull out a gritty 117-113 overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons to take a 3-2 series lead in Game 5 on Thursday.
Star guard Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs to the thrilling victory, scoring 7 of his 21 points in the extra period despite a poor shooting performance, while James Harden notched a team-high 30 points, along with 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
“We’re a fairly new team for the most part, we gotta find out who we are in the moments, which is good for us—great time to win the game,” Harden said postgame.
Cavs Notch First Road Playoff Win in 2026
Despite being five games into the second round, the win only marks the wine-and-gold’s first road win in this year’s playoffs, as they failed to steal a victory in enemy territory during their seven-game first-round bout against the Toronto Raptors.
Cleveland is also now one win away from its first Conference Finals appearance in eight years, which would mark the team’s first third-round entry in the post-LeBron James era.
Max Strus lit up the bench for 20 points, while Jarrett Allen chipped in a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Despite committing 16 turnovers, the Cavs also held Detroit to a rough shooting night from deep, finishing with only a 33% clip.
Cade Cunningham’s Offensive Clinic Falls Short
Despite having the lead almost throughout the entire game, the Pistons ultimately fell to a late 9-0 run by the Cavs to force a deadlock—and crumble in overtime.
Cade Cunningham paced the Pistons in the loss with 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Daniss Jenkins added 19 markers.
The loss now puts Detroit in a 2-3 series deficit and at risk of extending its Conference Finals drought to 18 years.
The Cavs will look to finish the job, while the Pistons look to stay alive in Game 6 on Saturday.
