One Win Away: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers Steal Game 5 in Overtime to Lead the Pistons 3-2

In one of the most dramatic and controversial games of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes of regulation, survived a disputed no-call that could have ended the game, and then dominated overtime to beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night. Cleveland now leads the Eastern Conference Semifinals 3-2 and needs just one more win to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018.

Game 5 Final Score: CLE 117 — DET 113 (OT) | Series: CLE leads 3-2

Quarter-by-Quarter: CLE led Q1 (14-10), Detroit dominated Q2 (31-25, Pistons), Cleveland flipped it in Q3 (32-20, Cavs), Pistons retook Q4 (23-19), then Cleveland controlled overtime (31-10, Cavs).

How It Happened: An Epic Back-and-Forth Battle

The Pistons came out like a team that had something to prove at home. They opened the second quarter by making eight consecutive shots — one of the most dominant stretches of basketball in this playoff series — and took a lead that stretched as large as 15 points midway through the second quarter.

But the Cavaliers, just as they have done throughout this second-round series, refused to die. The turning point came in the third quarter, when Cleveland's offence finally found its rhythm. James Harden had nine of his 30 points in that period. Donovan Mitchell began asserting himself. Evan Mobley hit a critical three-pointer near the end of the quarter that gave Cleveland a four-point lead — their largest of the game to that point — heading into the final 12 minutes.

The fourth quarter was a breathtaking sequence of lead changes and big shots from both sides. Cade Cunningham was absolutely relentless — at one point, the Pistons built the lead back to nine with under four minutes remaining, and it genuinely appeared as though Detroit would even the series. But Cleveland, led by the poise and free-throw drawing ability of James Harden and the sharpshooting of Max Strus, clawed back shot by shot. A nine-point run in the game's final 45 seconds of regulation tied the score and sent the game to overtime.

The Controversial No-Call That Changed Everything

Regulation ended in the most dramatic and disputed fashion possible. Ausar Thompson made a genuinely outstanding defensive play — stripping Donovan Mitchell as Mitchell drove for what looked like a game-winning shot. Thompson retrieved the ball and appeared to be in position to win the game for Detroit. But Thompson was tripped by Jarrett Allen and lost control of the ball as time expired. The Pistons were furious. Replays showed clear contact from Allen, and Detroit's coaching staff and players argued loudly that the foul should have been called, which would have sent Thompson to the line with a chance to win in regulation. The officials did not call it. Overtime began. The Pistons' moment had passed, and they never recovered emotionally.

Overtime: Cleveland Takes Over

The overtime period belonged completely to Cleveland. Jarrett Allen threw down a put-back dunk on the Cavs' first possession. Mitchell hit a short basket on the next trip. Then, the decisive sequence: Mitchell drained a mid-range shot, Max Strus stole the ball in transition and found Mitchell for a lay-up, and suddenly Cleveland led by seven with two minutes remaining. Despite a few Pistons attempts to claw back, the lead held. Harden was fouled with 24.4 seconds remaining and knocked down a crucial free throw, then grabbed his own missed second free throw, was fouled again, and hit one of two — extending the lead to four with the clock ticking down. Final score: CLE 117, DET 113.

The Star Performances: Who Stood Out

James Harden (CLE) — 30 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists: This was vintage Harden — navigating his way to the free-throw line repeatedly (14 attempts), hitting mid-range pull-ups, and running the offence with the calm of a veteran who has been in exactly these moments before. Harden was the steadiest Cavalier on the night, holding the team together through its most turbulent spells. "Very, very, very crazy team defensively," he said of the Pistons. "At the beginning of Game 6, we've got to make sure our mindset is right."

Cade Cunningham (DET) — 39 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals: This was Cunningham's best game of the series and arguably his best playoff performance of his career. He had 20 first-half points, repeatedly hit crucial shots when Detroit needed them most, and willed his team back from deficits all night. The cold reality is that it was not enough.

Max Strus (CLE) — 20 points, 6-of-8 from three, 8 rebounds: Strus was the Cavaliers' unsung hero of the night, setting a playoff career high with six three-pointers. Every time Detroit extended its lead, Strus found an open look and buried it. "I don't know where Cleveland would be without Max Strus," said ESPN analyst Tim Legler — and that is not an overstatement.

Evan Mobley (CLE) — 19 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks: The most complete stat line of the game from any player, Mobley was brilliant on both ends. His clutch three-pointer in Q3 to give Cleveland their largest lead of regulation was the play that shifted the game's momentum, and his passing out of the post (8 assists) has emerged as one of the most underappreciated weapons in Cleveland's offence.

Donovan Mitchell (CLE) — 21 points: Mitchell was quiet through most of regulation — just two points in the entire third quarter — but came alive when it mattered most, scoring seven of his 21 in overtime as Cleveland iced the game.

Ausar Thompson (DET) — 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 1 block: Thompson was a defensive menace all night — his four steals, one block, and the game-saving strip on Mitchell in regulation were all exceptional. The no-call at the end of regulation will haunt Detroit and its fans.

Jarrett Allen (CLE) — 16 points, 10 rebounds, double-double, 2 blocks: Allen was enormous in overtime — particularly his put-back dunk on the opening possession that immediately set the tone for Cleveland's decisive stretch.

The Complete Series Picture: How We Got Here

The Cleveland Cavaliers (4-seed) beat the Toronto Raptors (5-seed) in a gruelling seven-game first-round series, needing a Game 7 victory at home to advance. The Detroit Pistons (1-seed) swept the Orlando Magic 4-1 in the first round, establishing themselves as the East's dominant force.

In this second-round series, Detroit took the first two games at home — Game 1 (111-101) and Game 2 (107-97) — before Cleveland fought back with home wins in Game 3 (116-109) and Game 4 (112-103). Now, after last night's extraordinary overtime victory at Detroit, Cleveland leads 3-2.

Historically, the team that wins Game 5 in a tied 2-2 series goes on to win the series 81.7% of the time — the statistics are firmly on Cleveland's side heading into Friday's Game 6 in Cleveland.

What's Next: Game 6 — Friday Night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Game 6 takes place this Friday — tonight in Nigerian time at 12:00 AM WAT — at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The Cavaliers, with a 60.9% win probability, will be playing in front of a home crowd desperate to see their team advance to the conference finals for the first time since the LeBron James era.

For Detroit, the stakes could not be higher. One loss and their season is over. The Pistons — a young, talented, and deeply competitive team — will need Cunningham to replicate his 39-point performance, will need Thompson and the rest of their defence to be suffocating, and will need the referees controversy from Wednesday night to serve as fuel rather than distraction. They must win Friday, win Game 7, and pull off what would be one of the great playoff comebacks of recent memory.

For Cleveland, the prize is enormous — the Eastern Conference Finals, where the New York Knicks are already waiting.

The Eastern Conference Landscape

The New York Knicks have already swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they now await the winner of Cavaliers-Pistons. The remaining semifinal matchup on the Western side is the San Antonio Spurs (2-seed, led by Victor Wembanyama) against the Minnesota Timberwolves (6-seed), currently tied 3-2 — making the Wemby vs. Timberwolves series the only other second-round series still undecided in the West, alongside the already-completed OKC sweep of the Lakers.

Sources:

1. NBA.com (Official Game 5 Recap — Live Blog) — https://www.nba.com/news/live-updates-2026-nba-playoffs-eastern-conference-semifinals-cavaliers-pistons-chase-crucial-game-5-win
2. NBA.com (Official Game 5 Box Score) — https://www.nba.com/game/cle-vs-det-0042500205
3. Yahoo Sports (Harden Leads Cavs, Controversial No-Call) — https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/live/cavaliers-vs-pistons-score-live-updates-how-to-watch-game-5-cade-cunningham-donovan-mitchell-battle-for-series-lead-in-detroit-223000739.html
4. Detroit News (Game 5 Live Updates) — https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2026/05/13/detroit-pistons-vs-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-playoffs-game-5-live-updates/90049957007/