Cavaliers take 3-2 series lead with overtime Game 5 win

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday, May 13, to move within one win of the Eastern Conference finals. Cleveland trailed 103-94 with three minutes left in regulation before closing on a 9-0 run to force overtime, according to NBA.com. James Harden scored 30 points for Cleveland, and Cade Cunningham scored 39 for Detroit in a game that swung on late turnovers, free throws and a missed chance to close it out. The series now returns to Cleveland with the Cavaliers ahead 3-2. ### How did Cleveland get out of a game it was about to lose? Cleveland was down nine points with 3:00 remaining in regulation before Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus helped spark the comeback. NBA.com said the Cavaliers finished regulation on a 9-0 run, then outscored Detroit 14-10 in overtime to complete a 23-10 closing stretch. (nba.com) James Harden made the decisive late plays in overtime. NBA.com’s live recap said Harden hit a free throw with 24.4 seconds left, gathered his own miss after the second attempt and was fouled again, making one more to push Cleveland’s lead to 115-111. Fox Sports’ play-by-play also showed Harden blocking a Paul Reed layup attempt in the final seconds of overtime. (nba.com) ### Who carried the scoring load for both teams? James Harden led Cleveland with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, NBA.com reported. Max Strus added 20 points and hit six of eight 3-point attempts, while Evan Mobley had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Donovan Mitchell finished with 21 points. (nba.com) Cade Cunningham posted 39 points in the loss for Detroit, and NBA.com listed him as the top performer of the night in defeat. Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points and Tobias Harris added 13, but NBA.com said no other Pistons player reached double figures. ### What do the final numbers say about the game? (nba.com) The final score was 117-113 in overtime, according to Basketball-Reference’s box score for May 13. NBA.com said Detroit forced 16 turnovers, but Cleveland shot better from the field and from 3-point range, which helped offset the extra possessions. The game also stayed tight for long stretches before the late swing. (nba.com) NBA.com counted 11 lead changes and nine ties before Cleveland controlled overtime. ### Where was Game 5 played, and why does that matter in the series? Game 5 was played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, according to Fox Sports and Basketball-Reference. (basketball-reference.com) NBA.com called it Cleveland’s first road win of the postseason. The result gave Cleveland a 3-2 series lead after the teams entered Wednesday tied 2-2. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff live blog said teams that win Game 5 of a best-of-seven series tied 2-2 have gone on to win the series 81.7% of the time, citing historical league results. ### What did Harden say after the finish? (foxsports.com) James Harden described Detroit as a “very, very, very crazy team defensively,” according to NBA.com’s postgame recap. He also said Cleveland needed the right “mindset” at the start of Game 6. Those comments followed a game in which Cleveland had to recover from its own mistakes. (nba.com) NBA.com said the Pistons forced 16 turnovers, but Cleveland’s late execution on defense and at the foul line decided the result. ### What happens next in the series? Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. (nba.com) ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s game page. The listing shows Cleveland leading the series 3-2, with Prime Video carrying the broadcast. (nba.com)