Cleveland takes 3‑2 series lead over Detroit with Game 5 victory

The Cleveland Cavaliers left Detroit on Wednesday night one win from the Eastern Conference finals after a 117-113 overtime victory over the Pistons in Game 5. Cleveland trailed 103-94 with three minutes remaining in regulation before closing on a 9-0 run to force overtime, then outscoring Detroit 14-10 in the extra period. James Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Cade Cunningham scored 39 points in the loss for Detroit. NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists Game 6 for Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. ET in Cleveland on Prime Video. ### How did Cleveland get out of a game it was close to losing? The Cavaliers were down nine with just over three minutes left before flipping the game with stops, free throws and two late baskets from Donovan Mitchell. NBA.com’s live game recap said Cleveland tied the score at 103 on Evan Mobley free throws with 45.2 seconds left, then finished the night on a 23-10 run spanning the end of regulation and overtime. (nba.com) James Harden delivered the decisive late sequence. NBA.com’s live blog said Harden hit a free throw with 24.4 seconds left in overtime, grabbed his own miss on the second attempt and drew another foul, making one more to push Cleveland ahead 115-111. (nba.com) ### Which numbers mattered most in Game 5? Harden’s 30 points topped Cleveland, while Max Strus added 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range and Evan Mobley had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Donovan Mitchell finished with 21 points, and Jarrett Allen added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland shot 45.0% from the field and 40.0% from 3-point range. (nba.com) Cade Cunningham carried Detroit with 39 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 48:06. Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points, Tobias Harris had 13, and the Pistons forced 16 Cleveland turnovers, but Detroit had only three double-figure scorers listed in NBA.com’s recap. ### What changed after Detroit controlled much of the night? (nba.com) Detroit led by as many as 15 points in the first half and still held a 103-94 edge late in the fourth quarter. NBA.com’s recap said the Cavaliers recorded their first road win of the postseason with the comeback. James Harden described the Pistons after the game as a “very, very, very crazy team defensively,” according to NBA.com’s live blog. (nba.com) The same recap said Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson called the closing stretch evidence of the team’s “mental toughness progress.” (nba.com) ### What does the series score look like now? NBA.com’s official playoff schedule shows Detroit won the first two games of the series, 111-101 on May 5 and 107-97 on May 7, before Cleveland answered with wins in Games 3, 4 and 5. The Cavaliers took Game 3 by 116-109, Game 4 by 112-103 and Game 5 by 117-113 in overtime. (nba.com) The same schedule page lists Cleveland as leading the series 3-2, with Detroit needing a road win in Game 6 to force a deciding Game 7. NBA.com’s live blog also noted that teams winning Game 5 of a 2-2 NBA playoff series have gone on to win the series 81.7% of the time. ### When and where is the next game? Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. (espn.com) NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists the game for 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and it shows a Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday, May 17, only if the Pistons win Friday. (nba.com)