Cleveland have gone up 3-2 in their playoff series after a hard-fought tussle in Detroit. (AP PHOTO)
Cleveland have gone up 3-2 in their playoff series after a hard-fought tussle in Detroit. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP
James Harden has scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping Cleveland come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat Detroit 117-113 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series.
The Pistons led by 15 points in the first half on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) and 103-94 with two-plus minutes left. The Cavaliers rallied and pulled into a 103-all tie on Evan Mobley's free throws with 45.2 seconds left.
Cleveland went on a 13-0 run and held Detroit scoreless for five minutes from late in fourth quarter to midway through OT. The Cavs went ahead by seven with 2:39 left on Mitchell's three-pointer.
Cade Cunningham, who had 39 points and nine assists, made a jumper to pull the hosts within two points with 25 seconds left.
Harden made one free throw on the ensuing possession and rebounded his missed second attempt, before making another free throw to help seal the win.
Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland, where the fourth-seeded Cavs will get the first of two chances to advance to face the New York Knicks in the East finals.
If the top-seeded Pistons win, they will host Game 7 on Sunday.
Cleveland won the first road game of the series and their first as a visitor this post-season.
Detroit had won four straight games at home since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in Game 5 of the first round.
Harden added eight rebounds and six assists to his stats sheet, Max Strus made six triples and scored 20 points, while Mobley added 19 points and Jarrett Allen 16 points and nine rebounds.
Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points for the Pistons, Tobias Harris missed 13 of 19 shots and tallied 13 points and Jalen Duren was limited to nine points and five rebounds.
Detroit started the second quarter shooting eight of eight to take a 15-point lead.
Cunningham made a sixth three-pointer, setting a career playoff high, and Jenkins connected from beyond the arc with 5:25 left in regulation to give Detroit a six-point lead and cap a 10-0 run that wasn't enough the seal the win in regulation.
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