One game removed from riding Donovan Mitchell’s historic second-half performance to even the series, the Cleveland Cavaliers put together another huge effort out of the half to complete a 117-113 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Not only does the comeback win give Cleveland the 3-2 series lead, but it is its first road win of the playoffs. Even when the Cavaliers trailed by as many as 15 and faced a 60-52 halftime deficit, they did not panic. They outscored the Pistons, 32-20, in the third quarter and committed only two turnovers during that stretch.
Midseason trade acquisition James Harden was instrumental to Cleveland’s Game 5 success on Wednesday, scoring a team-high 30 points (8-of-21 FG) to go along with eight rebounds and six assists. However, it was not just his offensive production that stood out.
James Harden delivers for Cavaliers in pivotal Game 5 win
By starting Wednesday’s Game 5, Harden moved to 15th on the all-time NBA postseason games played list. Furthermore, as the “Inside the NBA” crew pointed out after the game, Harden is the first player in league history with a 30-point playoff game for six different teams.
Much like the rest of the series and the playoffs for that matter, Harden struggled to find his shot, not to mention his continued struggles holding onto the ball with six turnovers.
With that said, he converted 11 of his 14 free-throw attempts, recorded three blocks and had the second-best plus/minus on the team at +11. This rebound off a missed free throw was especially clutch as it helped Cleveland maintain possession up three and close the game out in the closing seconds.