The Cavaliers close regulation on a 9-0 run to force OT in Game 5, then outscore the Pistons 14-10 to take a 3-2 series lead.
For the Detroit Pistons, it’s win or go home. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, win or go back to Detroit. One way or another, a trip to Detroit is an option in a conference semifinal series that has been evenly matched.
With no margin for error, the Pistons will carry the biggest sense of urgency into Friday’s game in Cleveland (7 ET, Prime Video). Yet: The Cavs have plenty of incentive as well. They’ve won only once on the road, and that was Wednesday. Twice might be one too many to ask, especially in a Game 7.
The Cavs also share a feeling with Pistons in this respect — Cleveland was the top seed last year and fell short in the semis, losing 4-1 to the Indiana Pacers.
Expect the best from Donovan Mitchell and Cade Cunningham and the usual suspects and perhaps a surprise X-factor or two. The Pistons hope they have strength in those numbers.
“If we can’t get a win on the road, how far are we gonna get in the Playoffs?” asked Cunningham. “We gotta go win a game on the road. That’s what we’re gonna do.”
Here’s what to look for in Game 6:
1. Cunningham’s supporting cast
Cunningham seemed exhausted from the load and the responsibility and the burden down the stretch during Detroit’s 117-114 loss in Game 5. He didn’t have his usual impact, couldn’t rescue the Pistons and lost a chance to go up in the series. It wasn’t totally his fault.
Remember, Cunningham missed the last few weeks of the season with a collapsed lung, then endured a seven-game first round series – which included a comeback after trailing 3-1 – and is now about to go six games into the semifinals. And he has done so largely without the help of first-time All-Star Jalen Duren, his co-star during the regular season, who was benched in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5.
So the Pistons and Cunningham need to know who’s going to step forward with the season on the line.
Pistons history suggests you don’t get to the podium without acquiring some scar tissue. The Pistons added a layer in a gut-punch Game 5 loss.
“First to four wins, though. We know that.”https://t.co/tcGcz6mEVh
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) May 14, 2026
The most logical is Tobias Harris, a steady source of scoring help throughout the playoffs. Harris will need to restart his 20-point streak, which ended in Game 5.
Ausar Thompson is a tremendous defender who can’t be counted upon offensively. Duncan Robinson is dealing with injury and missed Game 5, a costly absence because of his long-range shooting.
Two players off the bench are worthy of extended minutes — Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed. Caris LeVert would be the third, but his series has been hit or miss.
A case can be made that of all the teams still active in the playoffs, the Pistons have the weakest talent surrounding their best player. Cunningham needs assistance, simply put, and from multiple sources at both ends. You can tell by his turnovers; he has 19 in the last three games combined, all Pistons losses.
The situation is simple: The Pistons are playing an elimination game on the road. It’s a job that calls for more than one man.
2. Mitchell’s important milestone
He’s one win away from a big career accomplishment. And he needs this more than Cunningham, even more than his co-star, James Harden. Because it’s hard to be taken seriously as a superstar if you can’t even reach the conference finals.
Mitchell badly wants to check that box. As he should. He has a terrific playoff past from an individual standpoint: A classic duel with Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the bubble; he has multiple games of 40 and 50 points. He just hasn’t felt the feeling of playing deep into May.
This is a void rooted in fact. Other basketball issues are subjective, this is not. You either give yourself a chance to reach the NBA Finals or not.
The good news for the Cavs is not only does Mitchell have two chances to punch his conference finals ticket, but he seems hungry to do so. He hasn’t played flawless basketball in these playoffs but has managed to shine when the Cavs absolutely needed him.
And he’ll need the help; this isn’t a solo assignment, not against the top seed in the East. If he has a level of assistance that appears to be missing from Cunningham, then Mitchell will return to New York, where he learned the game, and starting preparing for the Knicks.
3. The 4th quarter
Game Recap: Cavaliers 117, Pistons 113
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Detroit Pistons, 117-113, in overtime of Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.
With the exception of Game 4, this series has featured some frantic fourth quarters. They’ve all been tight and each team has had its chances. The most recent example was Game 5 when the Cavs rallied from nine points down in the final 2 1/2 minutes to force overtime and eventually win.
There’s no reason to suspect the fourth quarter won’t be a factor Friday, either. In this situation, the Pistons and Cavs need a lead singer, at least one player who can command the dribble in case the lead gets doubled, at least one player who can sink a 3-pointer if left unattended or with the shot-clock about to expire, and a defensive stopper. Which players are the best qualified to do so?
The lead singer? That’s a jump ball between Mitchell and Cunningham. The backup? Harden over Harris. The deep shooter? Max Strus is on a roll in that role; the Pistons need Robinson and pronto. The defensive stopper? Well, it’s Evan Mobley, but only by a whisker over Thompson, who is this series’ finest on-ball defender.
If you could put them all on the same team, they might reach the NBA Finals. For now, that penultimate step hangs in the balance.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at [email protected], find his archive here and follow him on X.
