James Harden and Cade Cunningham traded blows during a tense final period, but it was Harden who maintained possession and delivered crucial buckets when the Cavaliers needed him most. Cleveland held off the Detroit Pistons 116-109 at home in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday, narrowing the series deficit to 2-1.
Donovan Mitchell poured in a game-high 35 points on 13-of-24 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and four assists, while the Cavaliers shot 58.1 percent from the floor as a team. James Harden contributed 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and Jarrett Allen added 18 points for the hosts.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking a triple-double, while Tobias Harris chipped in 21 points.
Here are key takeaways as the series shifts to Game 4 on Monday in Cleveland:
**Harden Comes Alive in the Fourth Quarter**
Harden’s resurgence arrived at a pivotal moment. He scored nine of his 19 points in an exceptionally tight fourth quarter, fearlessly attacking the rim and floating soft shots over Jalen Duren. He committed only three turnovers against seven assists, shooting 8 of 14 from the field. His composed ball-handling and decision-making in the lane stood out, as did his defensive effort on Cunningham, who shot 10 of 27 and turned the ball over eight times.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley repeatedly attacked the rim against Duren and Harris, delivering several emphatic dunks. Mitchell played with intensity on both ends, seemingly finding his rhythm offensively by beating Detroit’s double teams and grabbing 10 rebounds.
After watching a 17-point lead evaporate in the third quarter, the Cavaliers displayed remarkable poise in the fourth, especially given the stakes—they had squandered chances to win the previous two games and four straight road contests dating back to the first round. Sam Merrill returned from a one-game absence due to a hamstring strain and provided seven points off the bench. Cleveland finally made its presence felt in this series; now the question is whether it can sustain the momentum.
**Pistons Lose Control With Costly Turnovers**
Turnovers proved fatal for the Pistons down the stretch. Cunningham committed three consecutive giveaways, allowing Cleveland to create just enough breathing room to halt Detroit’s comeback bid. The Cavaliers scored 27 points off 15 Pistons turnovers, with Cunningham responsible for eight of those giveaways despite his triple-double.
Detroit won the possession battle, taking 91 shots to Cleveland’s 74, and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to the Cavaliers’ five. Ultimately, however, the turnovers enabled the Cavaliers to manufacture the separation needed to hold on and win Game 3, bringing the series to 2-1. For a team that leans so heavily on Cunningham, his 10-of-27 shooting and eight turnovers proved too much to overcome. The Pistons let a golden opportunity to seize a commanding 3-0 lead slip away due to self-inflicted errors.