Cavaliers erase Pistons' chance at 3-1, rally to 112-103 win and tie series 2-2

Cleveland’s season was starting to tilt the wrong way. Detroit had already won the first two games, then nearly stole another chance to grab full control of the series. Instead, the Cavaliers detonated the second half of Game 4 and turned a looming 3-1 hole into a reset. That’s the real news here — not just one win, but a complete change in the shape of the series. ### How did this flip so hard? (cbsnews.com) At halftime, Detroit led 56-52 and looked steady. Then Cleveland opened the third quarter by steamrolling everything in sight. The Cavs put together a 24-0 run that stretched from the final seconds of the second quarter into the first six minutes of the third. That burst turned a deficit into control, and Detroit never really recovered from the shock. ### What was Mitchell actually doing? Basically, he went nuclear. Donovan Mitchell finished with 43 points, and 39 of them came in the second half alone. He tied Eric “Sleepy” Floyd’s NBA playoff record for points in a half, hitting the mark on a free throw with 27.6 seconds left. He even had one more foul shot to break it, but missed. Still, the damage was already done. ### Why did the run matter so much? (cbsnews.com) Because playoff games usually don’t leave room for a swing that violent. Cleveland shot 10-for-12 during that stretch, hit three 3-pointers, and turned five Detroit turnovers into nine points. A run like that doesn’t just move the score — it changes the emotional temperature of the building and the decisions both teams make after it. Detroit went from composed to scrambling. Cleveland went from tense to hunting. ### Was it only Mitchell? No — but he was the headline. Evan Mobley gave Cleveland a huge two-way game with 17 points, five blocks, and three steals. James Harden added a playoff double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. That matters because Detroit couldn’t load every answer onto Mitchell. When Cleveland’s stars are creating pressure in different ways, the floor opens up and the comeback becomes sustainable instead of just hot shooting. (cbsnews.com) ### What went wrong for Detroit? The Pistons had early control, and Caris LeVert gave them real punch with a season-high 24 points. But Cade Cunningham scored 19 — his first game under 20 points in these playoffs — and Detroit coughed up the ball at the exact moment Cleveland was ready to avalanche. The problem wasn’t just that the Pistons got cold. It’s that they lost their grip on the game’s structure. (cbsnews.com) ### So where does the series stand now? Completely different from where it looked a few hours earlier. Detroit had the chance to go up 3-1. Instead, the series is tied 2-2, which turns the whole thing into a best-of-three. Game 5 is Wednesday, May 13, in Detroit at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Games 6 and 7 lined up for May 15 and May 17 if needed. ### Why is this bigger than one comeback? Because Cleveland didn’t just survive — it proved the series is still on its terms if Mitchell can bend games like this. (cbsnews.com) But Detroit also learned something unpleasant: being the steadier team for a half isn’t enough if one superstar can rip the floor out from under you in six minutes. That’s the pressure now. Every possession from here on out starts feeling heavier. (nba.com) ### Bottom line This was the kind of playoff win that rewrites the mood overnight. Detroit was one game from command. Cleveland dragged the series back to even — and handed the next three games, if it goes that far, a totally different kind of tension. (cbsnews.com)