Stunning collapse: Pistons fall to Cavs in OT, trail series 3-2
Despite holding a nine-point lead with three minutes left in the game, the Pistons collapsed in Game 5 in an OT loss to the Cavs.
Detroit — Tobias Harris (13 points) made a mid-range jumper, giving the Detroit Pistons a 103-94 lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. For the second consecutive game, the Pistons appeared to be on the verge of a victory. However, for the second straight night, the Cleveland Cavaliers embarked on a run that ultimately proved detrimental.
The Cavaliers rallied in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter by responding with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 103-103, sending the game into overtime. Their run extended to 13 during the first few minutes of overtime, which was enough to hand the Pistons a 117-113 Game 5 loss, Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons now trail 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as the series shifts back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Friday.
The Cavaliers held an 89-85 lead with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter when the Pistons began to elevate their performance on both ends. They launched a 10-point run, taking a 95-89 lead with 5:25 left in the game. During the stretch, the Pistons forced the Cavaliers into three consecutive turnovers, returning to the defensive play that once gave them early control in the best-of-seven series.
Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons with 39 points, shooting 13-of-27 from the field, along with nine assists and six rebounds. However, he came up huge for Detroit in the fourth by scoring eight points. Outside of the All-NBA guard, the team's offensive production was limited.