Chasing History: Home Sweet Home
Remaining undefeated at home in the postseason, the Cavaliers get clutch baskets from James Harden to defeat the Pistons and pull their series to 2-1.
As these best-of-seven series tend to go when there’s a pair of evenly matched teams, the most pivotal moment regarding Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers probably hasn’t happened yet.
That’s because the home teams have taken care of business through three games, and at this rate, the Pistons and Cavs — who needed to survive Game Sevens to reach the semifinals — will once again be forced to go the full limit.
The next game will drop clues about that. The Cavs avoided a 3-0 hole by limiting their mistakes and riding their two stars in the moment of truth in Game 3. And actually, all three games were tightly contested in fourth quarters, meaning both teams had chances to win. Meaning this series could stretch into the weekend if this keeps up.
Here’s what to watch for Game 4 in Cleveland (8 ET, NBC/Peacock):
1. Pistons’ No. 2 scorer is …
Tobias Harris scores 21 points for the Detroit Pistons in a Game 2 win.
Tobias Harris has been solid in that role, dropping 20 points like it’s routine for him. News flash: It really isn’t. He’s on a roll, but basketball logic says a player who was his team’s No. 3 option all season will eventually return and settle into that comfort zone. Assuming his 20-point streak ends, who will step up and run shotgun next to Cade Cunningham?
Well, the bad news for the Pistons is Jalen Duren, who averaged nearly 20 points all season, has struggled offensively this postseason, averaging just 10.4 points. Furthermore, he’s an opportunity scorer, meaning he gets buckets from Cade’s passing or from offensive rebounds or put-backs, and not off the dribble and certainly nothing beyond 15 feet.
So, who are the candidates? Duncan Robinson is shooting 43% from deep this post season and looks aggressive, but historically has never been a volume shooter. Ausar Thompson doesn’t look to score; he’s on the floor mainly for defense and hustle. No one else in the rotation is equipped to consistently handle more than 10 shot attempts.
It could be the Pistons don’t need a strong No. 2 in this game or this series if their defense remains solid, they control the boards and Cade himself doesn’t go cold.
Still, it’s a lot of ask of Harris to avoid even the slightest stumble, given the limited alternatives.
2. Harden’s follow up
Cade Cunningham & James Harden trade baskets throughout Game 3 on May 9, 2026.
He did it once. Can he do it again? Seldom has that question ever been posed to James Harden throughout his career with regard to scoring. He was usually good for 25-30 points or more nightly; just pencil him in for that. But that was then and this is now.
The trick for Harden is to match his Game 3, when he had a strong fourth quarter, made all the necessary shots and eased the burden on Donovan Mitchell. And Harden will likely need to bring that Monday or else the Cavs could fall into a 3-1 hole heading back to Detroit; the Cavs are still looking for their first road playoff win this season.
After his Game 3 performance, Harden brushed aside any concerns about his age (37) and stamina and ability to score efficiently. That’s easy for him to say. But this is a results business, and production speaks louder than words.
His ability to avoid turnovers and score in isolations and find open teammates will tell everyone whether he is or isn’t in decline.
“I didn’t average 30 points in the regular season,” he said. “You give me opportunities in this fourth quarter, and I take advantage of them. I’ve done an unbelievable job throughout the course of my career of just understanding what the job needs to be, especially as I get older, and doing whatever it takes to win the game. That’s the most important thing.”
3. Robinson or Strus for 3
This series begs for someone to stretch defenses because neither team is having an easy time piling up the points. In such situations, the 3-point shot becomes much more meaningful and valuable and could dictate the outcome of the game.
That’s why Robinson and Max Strus could be difference-makers, depending on whether those shots are falling.
Robinson is by far the most reliable of the Pistons from that distance and he has played well through much of the playoffs and especially this series.
He’ll need to hit those shots to stay on the floor, because he rarely goes to the free throw line or scores in the mid-range or plays solid enough defense.
Same, for the most part, for Strus, who is being hunted defensively by Harris whenever the Pistons have the ball. Strus has the advantage of having two ball creators in Mitchell and Harden who can command double teams (Mitchell) or make solid passes (Harden) to give Strus a handful of open looks from deep.
If either Robinson or Strus are flirting with five or six made 3s and 20 points, their team could benefit as a result.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
