Cavs top Pistons in overtime for 3-2 series lead

TL;DR

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime, taking a 3-2 lead in their NBA playoff series. James Harden scored 30 points, leading the Cavs to their first road win of the playoffs.

Key points

Cavaliers won 117-113 in overtime against the Pistons
James Harden scored 30 points for Cleveland
Cavs lead the series 3-2 and aim to close it out in game six

Cleveland CavaliersDetroit PistonsNBA Playoffs

Cleveland's James Harden puts up a shot in the Cavaliers' victory over the Detroit Pistons in game five of their NBA playoff series (Gregory Shamus) (Gregory Shamus/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP) The Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday to move within one win of advancing in the NBA playoffs. The Cavs, fueled by 30 points from veteran James Harden, claimed their first road win of these playoffs to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series. They will try to close it out at home when they host game six on Friday, with the New York Knicks awaiting in the conference finals. "Great time to have a first road win," Harden told broadcaster ESPN after Cleveland notched their third straight victory to move within sight of their first trip to the conference finals since 2018. Cleveland trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half against the top-seeded Pistons, who were led by 39 points from Cade Cunningham. They rallied in the third, but in a see-saw fourth quarter the Pistons appeared to have gained control with a 12-0 scoring run and led by nine with 3:57 left in regulation. Once again the Cavaliers responded, Evan Mobley coming up with a dunk and two free throws to tie it up with 45.2 seconds remaining -- part of a 13-0 Cleveland run bridging the fourth quarter and the start of overtime that put the Cavs ahead for good. Cunningham's jump shot with 25.9 seconds left in overtime pulled the Pistons back within two points, but they would get no closer. added 21 points and chipped in 20 off the bench for Cleveland, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds from . Cunningham added nine assists and seven rebounds and scored 19 for the Pistons, who must win in Cleveland to force the series to return to Detroit for game seven. Harden said the Cavs, unbeaten at home this post-season, can't afford to let their guard down against a Detroit team that rallied from 3-1 down to beat in the first round. "Very, very crazy team defensively," he said. "And We've seen what they've done. They've come back from 3-1, so from the beginning of the game we've got to make sure our mindset is right and we do the small things to finish the series." The third-seeded Knicks swept the in four games to reach the East finals for the second straight year. bb/pst

Q&A

What was the final score of the Cavaliers vs. Pistons game five?

The final score was 117-113 in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Who led the Cavaliers in scoring during their overtime win against the Pistons?

James Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points in the overtime victory.

What do the Cavaliers need to do to advance to the conference finals?

The Cavaliers need to win game six at home against the Pistons to advance to the conference finals.