The Cleveland Cavaliers erased a four-point halftime deficit with a decisive 22-0 third-quarter burst and defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-103 on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, pulling even at two games apiece in their first-round playoff matchup.
Mitchell ignites after quiet start
Guard Donovan Mitchell managed just one basket before halftime, but exploded for 39 points after the break—part of a 43-point outing that matched Sleepy Floyd’s 1987 mark for most points in a single playoff half. Mitchell poured in 17 points during the Cavaliers’ game-changing run, while Detroit failed to register a point, rebound, assist, steal or block over the same six-minute span.
“He started getting into the open court,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “What an incredible performance. What a shift.”
Balanced support cast
James Harden supplied early momentum with 24 points, 11 assists and only two turnovers before ceding center stage to Mitchell in the closing quarters. Forward Evan Mobley added 17 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, prompting Atkinson to note, “Evan was everywhere tonight.”
Role players also delivered key moments. Dean Wade attempted one shot but focused on harassing Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who finished with 19 points, six assists and five turnovers. Jarrett Allen (nine points), Dennis Schröder (seven), Max Strus (five) and Sam Merrill provided depth minutes as Cleveland committed just eight turnovers overall.
Pistons’ efforts fall short
Former Cavalier Caris LeVert paced Detroit with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while Cunningham and Tobias Harris were forced into difficult looks. The Pistons, winners of 60 games in the regular season, never fully recovered after the third-quarter drought despite trimming the deficit to single digits late.
Looking ahead
The series shifts back to Little Caesars Arena for Game 5 on Wednesday night. “Now we’re 2-2 headed to Detroit. That’s really all that matters,” Mitchell said.
Source: Hoops Wire
