Cavs Take Game Three, 116-109

*** When the Cavaliers made the blockbuster deal to acquire James Harden, it was big moments like the final 90 seconds of Saturday afternoon’s thriller at Rocket Arena that made them seize that midseason opportunity. 

In a game filled with individual heroics, Harden’s three straight buckets stood apart – sealing the deal as the Cavaliers fended off a furious Pistons comeback to take the Game 3 decision, 116-109, and get back into the Eastern Conference Semifinal series – which Detroit leads, 2-1, with Game 4 slated for Monday night in Cleveland. 

As critical as Harden’s final flurry was in Saturday’s victory, it was Donovan Mitchell’s 35-point outburst and Max Strus’ tenacious play down the stretch that put Cleveland in position for the season-salvaging win. 

After trailing by 17 points early in the third quarter, Detroit clawed its way back to tie the game late in the period. After running back out to an eight-point edge in the fourth, the Pistons again came back to take a one-point lead with five minutes to play in regulation. 

Jarrett Allen’s dunk put Cleveland ahead by three with just over three minutes to play, but Detroit’s Duncan Robinson tied the game at 104-apiece with a three-pointer on the Pistons’ next possession. That’s when Strus turned in the defensive play of the game. 

With 2:32 to play, Cade Cunningham attempted to inbound the ball at halfcourt, but Strus essentially took it out of midair directly over his head, racing to score on a layup at the other end and put Cleveland back up a deuce. 

From there Harden took over, splashing home a midrange step-back jumper, connecting on a short floater in the lane and – with 26 seconds to go and the Cavs clinging to a one-point lead, drilling a step-back three-pointer to put the Wine and Gold up two possessions. 

Donovan Mitchell capped the win from there – drilling three free throws to put a bow on the must-win contest and notch his second straight 30-point performance, fourth of the postseason. 

On the night, Cleveland’s seven-time All-Star led all scorers with 35 points, going 13-for-24 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the stripe, adding a team-high 10 rebounds and four assists. 

Harden, who took plenty of heat after a pair of subpar outings in Motown, bounced back in style on Saturday – scoring seven of his 19 points in the final 1:29 of regulation, going 8-of-14 from the floor overall, including 3-of-7 from long-range, adding a team-high seven assists and a steal in 40 minutes of work. 

“If you watch (Harden)’s face and demeanor, you can't tell if he's shooting well or shooting poorly,” said Mitchell. “And for us, we've seen him play at a very high level, so we have no doubt that he's gonna continue to be great. And every game might not be that way – for him, for me, for whoever – but it's just how do you continue to stay even-keeled and find ways to impact the game.”

Jarrett Allen followed up with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, grabbing four boards to go with a pair of blocked shots, giving him 20 in the 2026 postseason. Evan Mobley added 13 points and a pair of swats of his own, grabbing eight boards and handing out four assists in the win. 

“(This win) was big – you protected phone court,” said Mobley. “We just gotta get one more. The momentum’s shifted right now. We’ve got to watch a film now and get even better. And we'll keep playing our brand of basketball.”

Dennis Schroder led Cleveland’s second unit with 11 points, going 4-of-5 from the floor, connecting on all three triples he attempted. The boxscore showed that Max Strus finished with seven points, five boards, two assists and a steal, but it felt like he was everywhere on the floor in the second half of Saturday’s victory. 

“(Max) is a maniac competitor,” praised Coach Kenny Atkinson. “It's kind of like a playoff cliche in the NBA, but you need guys that are a little crazy – in a good way. We needed some wildness tonight. He provides that, and of course, the shooting and the spacing. But without that, I don't think we'd get this win tonight without his energy and spontaneity.”

The intensity and frenetic energy that both Schroder and Strus brought were key as the Cavaliers scratched and clawed to prevent themselves from falling into a three-game deficit in the series. 

The Cavaliers flipped the script on the two games in Detroit, coming out on fire offensively – shooting 69 percent from the floor in the first half and 58 percent against the stingy Pistons defense on the night. The Cavs also turned the tables on the turnover battle – forcing 16 miscues that they converted into 27 points on the other end. 

Cade Cunningham tallied a triple-double for Detroit – finishing with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead his squad in all three categories. But as good as he was on Saturday afternoon, his three straight turnovers in the closing moments – part of eight miscues on the night – might have cost his club a chance to steal the win. 

Tobias Harris chipped in with 21 points and Duncan Robinson added 15 points, going 4-of-7 from long-range while leading both teams with five steals in the loss. Paul Reed came off J.B. Bickerstaff’s bench to lead the second unit with 11 points, connecting on all four field goals he attempted. 

With the victory, the Wine and Gold improved to 16-8 all-time against the Pistons in the playoffs, winning 10 of 11 on their home floor. The Cavs – who haven’t lost a game at Rocket Arena since late March, have won eight straight home games against Detroit.

*** Now with new life in the Second Round series, the Cavaliers host Game 3 on Monday night looking to even things up. Game 5 goes down on Wednesday night in the Motor City, with the series shifting back to Rocket Arena for Game 6, if necessary, next Friday night. If the series comes down to a Game 7, it’ll take place next Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.