The Cleveland Cavaliers finally found the late-game answers they had been missing.
After wasting clutch chances in the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Cleveland closed stronger on Saturday night and beat the Detroit Pistons 116-109 at Rocket Arena to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
The finish belonged to James Harden and Max Strus. Harden, who drew criticism for late turnovers in the first two games, delivered three huge shots in the final minutes, while Strus made the play that flipped the game for good with a steal and layup that put the Cavaliers ahead 106-104 with 2:28 left.
That sequence came after Strus jumped Cade Cunningham’s inbound pass near midcourt, timed the play perfectly, and turned it into Cleveland’s biggest basket of the night. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson called it the winning play of the game.
Donovan Mitchell carried Cleveland for much of the night with 35 points and 10 rebounds, and Harden finished with 19 points. Jarrett Allen added 18 as the Cavaliers leaned on their top players when every possession mattered.
Cleveland also got the kind of late execution that was missing earlier in the series. Harden answered Cunningham’s basket with a step-back jumper, then restored the lead again with a short floater before burying the decisive step-back 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to make it 113-109.
Cunningham still produced a major stat line, collecting 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career postseason triple-double. But his eight turnovers, including three straight after Strus’ steal, undercut what had otherwise been a brilliant night.
There were 11 lead changes in a game that stayed tight almost all the way through. Detroit led by as much as eight, but Cleveland shot 58 percent from the field and made enough plays down the stretch to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.
Mitchell also reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tying for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history. For Cleveland, that milestone and the comeback win mattered less than the bigger picture: the series is alive again.
Tobias Harris scored 21 points for Detroit, which saw its five-game playoff winning streak end. The Pistons are still in control of the matchup, but Game 3 showed that Cleveland can still win the possession battle when its stars execute under pressure.
The Cavaliers will try to even the series in Game 4 on Monday night in Cleveland.
