Donovan Mitchell erupted for 39 points after halftime, igniting a dominant 24-0 run that propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, tying their playoff series at 2-2.
The game featured plenty of highlights: Mitchell’s explosive second half, James Harden orchestrating with 11 assists, Cleveland’s relentless attack on Detroit’s defense, and the Pistons’ costly turnovers. But the decisive moment came in the first 6:03 of the third quarter, when the Cavaliers stormed to a 24-0 surge, flipping a 4-point halftime deficit into an 18-point lead that the Pistons never threatened.
Mitchell scored 21 points in the third quarter alone on 8-of-9 shooting, single-handedly turning the tide. He finished with 43 points, tying Eric “Sleepy” Floyd for the most points in a half in the play-by-play era with 39 after the break.
Harden contributed 24 points and 11 assists, while Evan Mobley added 17 points. Despite a slow start—Mitchell had just 4 points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first half—Harden’s early 15 points and 6 assists kept Cleveland within striking distance.
For Detroit, Cade Cunningham struggled, finishing with 19 points on 16 shots and four turnovers. Jalen Duren managed only 8 points, and Tobias Harris needed 17 shots to reach 16 points. The Pistons were kept alive by a strong bench performance: Caris LeVert scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, and Paul Reed added 15 on 7-of-9 from the field.
Cleveland forced five early turnovers that turned into 11 points, taking an 11-point lead in the first quarter—coinciding with Harden’s early scoring spree. But the Pistons recovered, especially behind LeVert’s fast start, and led 24-21 after one. The second quarter was back-and-forth, with Cleveland improving its attack on mismatches, yet Detroit still held a 4-point halftime edge.
Then Mitchell took over, and the Cavaliers’ run changed the series narrative. With the series now a best-of-three, a critical Game 5 awaits in Detroit on Wednesday. Cleveland has been unbeatable at home this postseason (6-0) but winless on the road (0-5).