Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 116-109 on Saturday night and avoided elimination in the second round of the NBA playoffs. With the home victory, the team cut the series deficit to 2-1. Donovan Mitchell was the highlight with 35 points.
Rocket Arena received an audience that saw the home team show aggression from the start. Cleveland dominated the rebounds and explored the paint well. Os Pistons struggled to convert long shots.
Mitchell leads the attack and ends with 35 points
Donovan Mitchell commanded Cavaliers’s attack. Ele scored 35 points and grabbed five rebounds. The point guard made 8 of 12 shots in the first half and finished with a good overall performance.
Mitchell alternated penetrations and mid-range shots. Late in the second quarter, he converted a stepback three-pointer after short dribbles. The player’s confidence appeared in decisive moments of the match.
- Mitchell: 35 points
- James Harden: 19 points and 7 assists
- Jarrett Allen: 18 points and 2 blocks
- Evan Mobley: 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks
Harden shines again and contributes in key moments
James Harden finished with 19 points and seven assists. Ele converted a floater and a three-point shot in the fourth quarter. The ball fell after contact with defender Tobias Harris.
Harden and Mitchell combined for 54 points. The two guards led the team on the attack from the first quarter. Eles avoided relying solely on outside shots, as had happened in previous games.
The veteran distributed the ball well and helped create plays. Cleveland took advantage of Detroit’s errors to run in transition.
Cleveland opens up lead in the fourth quarter
The score remained balanced until the final quarter. Max Strus stole a ball from Cade Cunningham and scored to put Cleveland ahead 106-104. Cunningham lost two more possessions in a row.
Harden extended the lead with the floater. Depois responded to Cunningham’s three-pointer with another long shot. Mitchell grabbed an offensive rebound from a missed free throw and converted two free throws in the final seconds.
With 20 seconds remaining, the score was already set. Os Pistons didn’t have enough time to react.
Pistons grows in the third quarter but does not sustain
Detroit went on a 28-9 run in the third quarter and turned the score to 76-74. Cade Cunningham led the moment with points and assists.
The point guard finished with a triple-double: 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Ele scored 17 points in the second half, but missed 17 shots and committed eight turnovers.
Tobias Harris scored 21 points. Duncan Robinson contributed 15 points and made four three-pointers. Mesmo thus, the team converted only 36% of long-distance attempts.
Big Cleveland men control the carboy
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley played with intensity close to the basket. Both players buried balls against Detroit’s defense and protected the rim. Cada one recorded two blocks.
Mobley grabbed eight rebounds. Allen scored 18 points. The duo limited the shares of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart in the bottle. Detroit only shot 38% in the first half.
Cleveland dominated offensive rebounds at several points. Essa advantage helped to maintain ball possession and build the score.
Série moves on to Jogo 4 in Cleveland
The series is now 2-1 for Detroit Pistons. The fourth game takes place on Monday, again on Rocket Arena, at 8pm Brasília time.
Cleveland needs to win two more matches to turn the series around. Detroit can close out the standings with a win at home or away.
The performance of Mitchell and Harden gave the home team confidence. Fans are expected to show up in force at the next event.