Donovan Mitchell erupted for 35 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
After dropping the first two games of the series in Detroit, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers closed the contest with a 12-5 run, preserving their perfect home record this postseason. James Harden proved pivotal down the stretch, pouring in seven of his 19 points in the final 90 seconds.
“He’s an all-timer,” Pistons star Cade Cunningham said of Harden. “Being an isolation scorer is what he likes doing. Guys get into a rhythm and make shots when he got comfortable.”
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers hold an all-time playoff record of 10-1 against the Pistons.
Cunningham recorded his second career playoff triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for the top-seeded Pistons, but he also committed eight turnovers. Two of those miscues came in the final 2:32 — the first when Max Strus stole his inbounds pass and scored to give Cleveland a permanent lead at 106-104.
Harden then took over, knocking down a jumper, a tough pull-up, and a 3-pointer, the last of which extended the Cavaliers’ lead to 113-109. Cunningham had buried a triple to bring Detroit within one point just before Harden’s 26-footer. Mitchell sealed the win from the free-throw line, making three shots in the final 20 seconds.
“We found a way to defend home court,” Mitchell said. “Collectively, we rebounded and executed — and James Harden does what he does. That’s why he’s here: his scoring, rebounding, and passing.”
Jarrett Allen contributed 18 points, while Evan Mobley added 13 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland. Mitchell also reached 1,000 career playoff points in the first quarter.
“Screw the rotations,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We just had to find the five guys who can help us win. I’m usually really strict on that, but in this situation, you’ve got to put your best players on the floor.”
Tobias Harris scored 21 points and gave Detroit its final lead at 100-98 with a late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson chipped in 15 points, and Paul Reed scored 11 points in 10 minutes off the bench, all in the second half.
“We understand that (Harden) hit some tough shots and made an impact on the game,” Harris stated. “But we can be tougher than that. It’s a series, and we had a great opportunity tonight. You’ve got to give them credit. They made tough shots.”
Reed made a layup to cap a 28-10 run to start the third quarter for the Pistons, who grabbed a 76-74 lead behind 10 points from Cunningham. Mitchell answered with consecutive baskets, pushing Cleveland back ahead 83-81 heading into the fourth.
The Cavaliers outscored Detroit 32-18 in the second quarter, fueled by 11 points from Mitchell and seven from Mobley, extending their advantage to 64-48. Mitchell had 20 points and Allen added 13 in the first half, while Cunningham and Harris each scored 10.
The second quarter featured a five-point possession for Cleveland when Harden hit a 3-pointer and missed the attached free throw, but Mobley grabbed the team’s first offensive rebound and slammed it home. The Pistons were whistled for three offensive fouls in the period.
“In the first half, we got great looks and open shots,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They just did not fall for us. We’ve got to make sure we get shots on goal, so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it.”
Allen and Mitchell each scored nine points in the first quarter as Cleveland went up 32-30 on the seventh lead change. Cunningham finished with six points, five rebounds, and four assists in the opening period.
