Will any team in the East stop the Knicks?
The New York Knicks are gaining momentum in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but do any teams still have what it takes to keep them out of the NBA Finals?
In a pivotal Game 5, the Cavaliers did something they hadn’t been able to do all postseason. We won on the road against Cleveland.
The Cavs took a 3-2 lead over the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday, May 13, and are one win away from advancing to the conference finals against the New York Knicks.
The series now returns to Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are undefeated in the playoffs and have won all six games played at Rocket Arena.
James Harden led the Cavs with 30 points on 8-of-21 shooting (38.1%), Donovan Mitchell had 21 points and Evan Mobley added 19 points.
After overtime, the Cavaliers won 117-113.
Here are the takeaways from Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
Frankly, the Cavaliers got lucky with all their turnovers.
In some ways, this is a game the Cavaliers shouldn’t have won. Star players Harden and Mitchell shot just 38.5% combined. In the second quarter, the lead was 15 points. But more concerning were the 17 turnovers, many of which were unforgivable.
The Cavaliers were too casual with their ball security, letting lazy passes fly all over the court and sometimes telegraphing them. This allowed Detroit to turn those scores into 27 points and is also why the Pistons claimed a 23-7 advantage in fast break points.
The Cavaliers were better in the second half, but their careless offense could completely thwart the team’s chances of winning. If the Cavs make it to the conference finals, Cleveland should consider themselves lucky because the Knicks won’t let them get away easily.
Detroit Pistons rely too much on Cade Cunningham
It was another shocker for Cunningham, Detroit’s unquestioned star. Cunningham finished with 39 points on 13-of-27 shooting, nine assists and seven rebounds. But once again, the Pistons wasted a great game from Cunningham because the supporting cast didn’t contribute enough.
Danis Jenkins, making his first career postseason start, had a solid night on 8-of-17 shooting, scoring 19 points, although he struggled from 3-point range (2-of-8). However, Tobias Harris (13 points) and Jalen Duren (9 points, 5 rebounds) struggled. This is becoming a theme for the Pistons.
As long as they look to Cunningham as a savior, especially in the clutch, when teams can play a little more physical and throw double teams to him, Detroit will have a hard time advancing deep into the playoffs.
Cunningham is an outstanding player and one of the top 10 basketball players in the world. However, the pressure and responsibility on his shoulders is unsustainable, which leads to unforced errors. Six turnovers on Wednesday night (including a debilitating one late in overtime) is a problem he needs to fix.
Donovan Mitchell has been to some big playoff games in his career, but his team has never made it past the conference semifinal round. James Harden has a reputation (which, frankly, is unfair) for faltering when it matters most, despite his 185 career playoff games and several big postseason performances.
But if Cleveland can defend home court on Friday, May 15 and advance Cleveland to the Eastern Conference Finals, Mitchell and Harden will have a chance to rebuild those narratives.
There were times in this series where both struggled somewhat. But when Cleveland needed a clutch bucket, it was Mitchell and Harden who provided it.
The Pistons, who are 1-4 on the road this postseason, will be playing desperately, so the Cavaliers will need to be prepared and relentless. Notice Mitchell and Harden trying to set the tone.
Probably not. After all, Duren was named an All-Star for the first time this season and is still impacting games defensively, but it doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score.
But Reid is outperforming Duren again, and it’s clear that Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff is adjusting his rotation to that end. On Wednesday night, Reed played a series-high 17 minutes, just eight minutes fewer than Duren’s 25 minutes.
Reed had 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots, while Duren had nine points, five rebounds, and no blocks.
Duren’s plus-minus of 16 was the lowest on the team Wednesday night, but he is now minus-42 over the final three games of the series.
In the regular season, Duren developed a solid mid-range jumper, but it’s simply not a part of his game now. The only offensive contributions Duren seems to make are putbacks or the occasional lob. He took just five shots on Wednesday compared to Reed’s seven. Reed simply plays with more energy and pace from the moment he steps on the floor.
This seems to be a confidence issue for Duren, and Detroit needs him to at least put in the effort. That’s because his offensive rebounds give the Pistons second chances, and his defensive rebounds can create transition opportunities.
At times during the playoffs, Mobley found it difficult to assert himself offensively. However, he has made steady progress over the last three games. Mobley had 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and had three blocks. He hit two 3-pointers, the first at the end of the third quarter and the second with 1:22 left in the fourth, cutting Detroit’s lead to two points.
Strus also played well, making 6 of 8 3-point shots and recording 20 points and 8 rebounds off the bench. Once he catches fire, Strus will be a key part of Cleveland’s offense and help start the run. He scored 64.5% of the team’s bench points Wednesday night. The Cavs will need the same type of production from both players to shut out Detroit in Game 6.
