Cleveland Cavaliers staged near-impossible comeback to force OT in Detroit, snatching 3-2 series lead over Pistons with 117-113 victory [VIDEO]
Evan Mobley’s 4th Quarter Heroics Forced Overtime and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Balanced Effort Secured the Win
The Cleveland Cavaliers had not won a road game in the 2026 playoffs entering Wednesday night. They had lost Game 1 in Detroit, lost Game 3 in Detroit, and watched the Pistons build a 15-point first-half lead in Game 5. Then Evan Mobley scored eight straight points in the final two and a half minutes of regulation, and the Cavs left the Little Caesars Arena with a 117-113 overtime win and a 3-2 series lead.
This was the game where Cleveland refused to die. Where a no-call sent the crowd into a frenzy. Where the Cavaliers opened overtime on a 13-0 run that stretched Detroit’s scoreless drought to nearly five minutes. And where Cade Cunningham’s 39-point masterpiece was in vain because his supporting cast could not match the moment.
The Cavaliers have not been to the Eastern Conference Finals since LeBron James led them past Boston in 2018. One more win and that drought ends.
Pistons Built a 15-Point Lead Behind Cunningham’s First-Half Masterclass
Cade Cunningham was unstoppable in the first half. The Pistons guard scored 20 points before the break, attacking the rim, hitting step-back threes, and keeping Cleveland’s defense scrambling. Detroit led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and took a 60-52 lead into halftime. The Pistons forced 10 Cavaliers turnovers in the first half alone, turning them into 20 points.
Ausar Thompson was everywhere on defense, finishing the game with 4 steals and 3 blocks. Tobias Harris and Daniss Jenkins, starting in place of the injured Duncan Robinson (low back soreness), provided enough secondary scoring to keep Cleveland at arm’s length. The Pistons controlled the pace, the glass, and the crowd. Everything was working.
Cleveland looked lost offensively. Donovan Mitchell shot 1-of-8 from three-point range for the game. James Harden struggled from deep as well, hitting just 3-of-10. But Max Strus kept them alive, drilling 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and finishing with 20 points. Without his shooting, the comeback never happens.
Mobley Scored Eight Straight in Final 2:36 to Force Overtime
The Pistons extended their lead to 103-94 with 2 minutes and 36 seconds remaining. An 8-0 run featuring threes from Cunningham and Harris and a layup by Jenkins had put Detroit on the brink of a 3-2 series lead. The Detroit crowd sensed the kill. The Cavaliers’ season was seconds from being on the verge of ending.
Then Evan Mobley took over. He scored on a layup to cut it to 103-96. He hit a jumper to make it 103-98. Then he drilled a three-pointer to bring Cleveland within two at 103-101. After a defensive stop, he drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws to tie the game at 103-103 with 45.2 seconds left.
Mobley finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocks. His eight-point solo run was the defining sequence of the game — a nine-point deficit erased entirely by one player without any other Cavalier scoring a single point. For a player often described as Cleveland’s defensive anchor, his offensive explosion in the clutch announced a new dimension to his game.
Controversial No-Call in Final Seconds Sent the Game to Overtime
With the score tied at 103-103 and time winding down, Ausar Thompson blocked a driving layup attempt by Donovan Mitchell and secured the rebound. As Thompson tried to push the ball upcourt, he collided with Cleveland center Jarrett Allen and tumbled to the floor. Officials did not call a foul. The buzzer sounded. The game went to overtime.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff was livid. “That’s a clear foul,” he said after the game. “He got tripped from behind while going for a loose ball.” Referee crew chief Tony Brothers offered a different view, describing the contact as incidental with both players pursuing the ball and neither having possession. Brothers noted the league office would review the play and include it in the Last Two Minute report.
The no-call became a flashpoint on social media. Pistons fans flooded X with clips of the contact, arguing it should have sent Thompson to the line. For Detroit, it was a missed opportunity to close out the game. For Cleveland, it was survival — and a chance to steal a game they had no business winning.
Cavaliers Opened Overtime on a 13-0 Run and Never Looked Back
The Cavaliers emerged from the overtime huddle with a different energy. Jarrett Allen slammed home a put-back dunk for a 105-103 lead. Mitchell followed with a driving layup to make it 107-103. Then Mitchell drilled a three-pointer from the wing, pushing the lead to 110-103 and forcing Detroit to burn a timeout. The Pistons had no answer.
The Pistons finally ended their scoring drought — which stretched nearly five minutes of game time — with two free throws from Paul Reed. But the damage was done. Cleveland’s 13-0 run spanning the end of regulation and the start of overtime had flipped the game entirely. Detroit never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
Harden sealed it at the free-throw line, part of his 30-point night that included the now-viral offensive rebound of his own miss. Mobley added two more free throws for the final margin. Paul Reed scored a meaningless basket at the buzzer. Cavs 117, Pistons 113.
Cunningham’s 39 Points Went to Waste as Supporting Cast Struggled
Cade Cunningham finished with 39 points on 13-of-27 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three-point range, along with 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. He played every minute of regulation and all six of overtime. He was everywhere. It was not enough. His performance was the kind of signature playoff outing that usually leads to victory, but the Cavaliers had other plans.
Tobias Harris shot 6-of-19 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range, finishing with just 13 points in 40 minutes. Jalen Duren played only 25 minutes and recorded 9 points and 5 rebounds, a quiet night for a player who had dominated the glass in Detroit’s two home wins earlier in the series. Duncan Robinson’s absence loomed large.
Jenkins performed admirably with 19 points in his first start of the postseason. But when the game tightened, when the Cavaliers needed stops and made shots, Detroit’s role players could not answer. Cunningham carried a heavy load, and for the first time in the series, it broke him.
Social Media Reacted to the Comeback and the Controversial No-Call
The no-call became the dominant topic on X following the game. Pistons fans argued the fix was in. “He got tripped. That’s a foul every time. Refs swallowed the whistle,” one user wrote. Another posted: “Bickerstaff is going to lose his mind watching that replay.” A third added: “Cade did everything. The rest of the team did nothing. That’s the story.”
Cavaliers fans focused on the comeback. “Down 9 with 2:30 left. On the road. No problem,” one user wrote. Another commented: “Mobley just announced himself. That’s a superstar sequence.” A third posted: “Cade had 39 and they still lost. That’s on everyone else.” Some users noted the free-throw disparity — Cleveland attempted 38, Detroit 20 — as a factor in the outcome.
The consensus was clear: the Cavaliers wanted it more, and the Pistons could not close. For Detroit, the loss stings not just because of the series deficit but because of how it happened. A nine-point lead with two and a half minutes left. A no-call that went against them. An overtime period where they never recovered. That is the kind of loss that haunts an offseason.
Cleveland Is One Win From Its First East Finals Since 2018
The Cavaliers have not been to the Eastern Conference Finals since LeBron James left for the second time in 2018. That drought could end Friday night at Rocket Arena, where Cleveland will have its first chance to close out the series in Game 6. Game 5 was Cleveland’s first road win of the series. The pattern suggests a closing opportunity in front of their own crowd.
Harden was brought to Cleveland for moments like this. Mobley announced himself as a clutch performer. Mitchell hit the dagger three in overtime. And the Cavaliers, down nine with two and a half minutes left on the road, found a way to steal a game they had no business winning. One more win and they’re in the East Finals.
The Pistons now face elimination. They must win Game 6 in Cleveland to force a Game 7 back in Detroit. Cunningham can only do so much. The supporting cast must answer. If they don’t, the series ends Friday night.