Mitchell scores 43, Cavs tie series

The Cavaliers didn’t just survive Game 4. They detonated it. Cleveland beat Detroit 112-103 on Monday, May 11, behind 43 points from Donovan Mitchell and a second half that turned a shaky night into a series reset. Two games ago, the Pistons were up 2-0. Now this thing is basically a best-of-three. (apnews.com) ### What actually swung the game? The run. Cleveland closed the first half and opened the third on a 24-0 burst that completely broke Detroit’s control of the night. (apnews.com) The Pistons led 56-52 late in the second quarter and looked comfortable. Then Mitchell caught fire, the Cavs started getting stops, and the whole floor tilted. (nba.com) By the time Detroit scored again, the game had a different owner. ### Why is Mitchell’s night a big deal? Because 43 points is huge, but 39 in one half is the part people will remember. That tied the NBA playoff record for points in a half — the same mark Sleepy Floyd hit decades ago. (apnews.com) This wasn’t one hot quarter either. It was sustained takeover stuff, with Mitchell scoring from deep, getting downhill, and then sealing the record at the line late. ### Was Cleveland getting help? Yes — and that matters, because this wasn’t a pure one-man rescue. James Harden added 24 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley gave Cleveland 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five blocks. (bostonglobe.com) That last number is a big one. Detroit’s offense didn’t just cool off. It started seeing traffic at the rim and fewer clean reads once Cleveland’s defense tightened. ### What happened to Detroit? The Pistons lost their grip in the exact stretch playoff teams can’t afford to lose it. They were solid early, led by as many as eight, and had Cleveland looking tense. But the third quarter got away from them fast. (apnews.com) Cade Cunningham finished with just 12 points, and once the Cavs’ run started, Detroit spent the rest of the night chasing instead of dictating. ### Why does the 2-2 tie matter so much? Because the emotional shape of the series has flipped. Detroit won the first two games in Cleveland and looked like the team with control. (youtube.com) Now Cleveland has answered with back-to-back wins and dragged the matchup back to even. In playoff terms, that’s more than bookkeeping — it changes pressure, rotation decisions, and who feels like they solved something. ### What’s next? Game 5 is in Detroit on Wednesday, May 13, with the series tied 2-2. That gives the Pistons home court again, but not the cushion they had a few days ago. Cleveland has the momentum. Detroit has the reminder that one bad half can erase a lot in May. (foxsports.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? This was a star game, but also a nerve game. Mitchell gave Cleveland the kind of performance that can rescue a season for a night. The bigger point is that the Cavs turned a near-crisis into a live series. Detroit still has a path. But after Monday, the series is on Cleveland’s terms again. (apnews.com) (nba.com)