The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled even in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, defeating the Detroit Pistons 112-103 at home on Tuesday night. Donovan Mitchell erupted for 43 points and five rebounds, while James Harden contributed 24 points and 11 assists to lead Cleveland to a 2-2 series tie. Game 5 will shift back to Detroit.
Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 43 points and five boards, while Harden added 24 points and 11 assists. Evan Mobley chipped in 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Jarrett Allen finished with nine points and five rebounds. For the Pistons, Caris LeVert scored 24 points and grabbed four rebounds, Cade Cunningham tallied 19 points and six assists, Tobias Harris recorded 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Naz Reid added 15 points and four boards.
Harden came out firing in the first quarter, knocking down three three-pointers and scoring 11 points to help the Cavs jump to a 16-5 lead. LeVert answered with five points and Harris hit a three, sparking a Pistons rally that gave them a 19-18 edge. Dennis Schroder drove for two, but LeVert drained another triple and Cunningham hit a mid-range jumper, sending Detroit to a 24-21 lead after the first quarter.
LeVert stayed hot in the second quarter, scoring twice more to push the Pistons ahead 31-27. Sam Merrill countered with two three-pointers, helping the Cavaliers retake the lead at 35-33 with eight minutes left in the half. Jalen Duren tied it with an alley-oop, and after a 38-all deadlock, Harris knocked down a three to spark a 7-3 run that put Detroit back in front. Mitchell answered with a three to narrow the gap, but LeVert drained another three, and Harden and Mobley combined for four points. Cunningham and Harris added four more, sending the Pistons into halftime with a 56-52 advantage.
LeVert paced the Pistons with 17 points in the first half, while Harris posted 14 points and nine boards, and Cunningham added 12 points and five assists. Harden led the Cavaliers with 15 points and six assists, and Mobley had 11 points.
Mitchell took over in the third quarter, drilling two threes and scoring 11 points as part of a 16-0 run that flipped the game. Just under four minutes into the period, Cleveland led 68-56. After a Pistons timeout, Cunningham committed consecutive turnovers, and Mitchell and Allen combined for six more points to stretch the lead to 18. Reid ended the drought with a three, but Mitchell sank two free throws. LeVert scored five points, and Reid hit two more buckets inside, cutting the Cavs’ lead to 80-70 with 2:40 left in the third. Harden knocked down a three, and Schroder scored on a drive to push the lead back. Reid stayed hot with two more baskets, and Harden made three free throws, sending Cleveland into the fourth quarter with a 90-77 lead.
Cleveland kept the pressure on in the fourth, as Mitchell scored eight more points in a 10-2 run that made it 100-79. Detroit didn’t quit, with Cunningham scoring five points as part of a 7-0 run that cut the deficit to 86-100. A Cavaliers timeout produced a quick seven points from Mitchell, and despite a 4-0 spurt from Harris and LeVert, Mitchell hit two free throws to make it 109-92.
The Pistons pulled their starters but kept fighting, as rookie Jaden Springer scored five straight points in a 9-0 run that trimmed the lead to 101-109 with 49.7 seconds remaining. Mitchell and Harden re-entered, and Mobley slammed home a putback. Mitchell made one of two free throws, making it 112-101. Springer drove for a layup, but it was too late, as Detroit fell 112-103.
Pistons starting lineup: Cunningham, Thompson, Robinson, Harris, Duren
Cavaliers starting lineup: Harden, Mitchell, Wade, Mobley, Allen
