Donovan Mitchell records his 35th career 30-point postseason game – and 16th with the Cavaliers – in a Game 3 thriller.
As it turned out, the winning streak continued Saturday.
Not the Detroit Pistons’ streak in this Eastern Conference semifinal series, but the longer one — by the Cleveland Cavaliers at home in the playoffs, where they’ve now won five in a row.
The change of venue and city resulted in a change of fortune for the Cavs, who twice came up empty in Detroit but rediscovered the comforts of Cleveland in a 116-109 victory.
Whether it was because of a more familiar atmosphere or a great sense of urgency — maybe both — the Cavs had all the answers down the stretch of Game 3.
They briefly lost a 17-point lead but not their composure; when a defensive stand or basket was needed, one was delivered. Ultimately, they rode the strong play of Donovan Mitchell and survived a triple-double by Cade Cunningham and also this must be said — welcome to the conference finals, James Harden.
“That’s the James Harden we know,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. “We needed it tonight.”
Here are the Takeaways from the Cavs’ first win of the conference semifinals:
1. Harden goes hard in clutch
Well, a performance like this helps.
This brought the Cavs within a game of tying the series, reassured his teammates and the fanbase, put all conversations about his playoff history on hold and no doubt gives him a confidence boost for Game 4 on Monday if he needs it.
And he definitely needed an effort like he delivered Saturday, especially in the fourth quarter, right when the Cavs needed him most.
Cade Cunningham & James Harden trade baskets throughout Game 3 on May 9, 2026.
Not only did Harden score off a pair of isolations with a runner and then a 3-pointer in the last 90 seconds, but what’s just as surprising is Mitchell — who had a terrific game to that point — stepped aside and yielded to Harden in a situation that normally belongs to Mitchell.
“I feel like we’ve been seeing that for 17 years,” said Mitchell. “There was no doubt the right play was gonna be made. It’s always good to give him his space and let him attack.”
That speaks to Mitchell’s faith in Harden and also how Harden confirmed that faith with a clap-back performance, easily his best of this series and perhaps these playoffs, all things considered.
Harden had nine of his 19 points in the fourth and for the first time in this series was an asset and not a liability. Previously buried underneath a rash of turnovers and unable to connect on deep shots in the first two games, Harden was a different player — not as reckless (just three turnovers) and refreshingly reliable.
He also contested a Duncan Robinson 3-point attempt in the final seconds off an inbounds pass, forcing Robinson to airball the shot, to preserve the victory. He protected the ball, got buckets, played defense. A turnaround effort.
2. Mitchell goes downhill with no brakes or breaks.
There was the sense that Mitchell wasn’t allowing the Cavs to lose this game. It was all in his body language, his swagger, his determination and maybe his desperation.
This was a player who decided to lay it on the line as if this was a Game 7. He was constantly in attack mode and wore down Detroit’s defense in the process.
But he remained in control. Mitchell shot well — 13-for-24 — and went to the free throw line (shooting 7-for-8), good for 35 points.
In addition, realizing the Cavs needed more toughness than they showed in the first two games, Mitchell added 10 rebounds. This was his fourth 30-point game in these playoffs.
“Tonight was, we gotta go get this one,” said Atkinson.
His best player adopted that attitude and approach and it seemed infectious.
3. Cade’s triple-double wasted
There were times when Cunningham looked as though he would bail out the Pistons, and there were times when it appeared Cunningham himself needed to be rescued.
It was that kind of weird afternoon for the Pistons’ star.
The good: Cunningham notched a 27-10-10 triple double and typical of him, gave his team a chance to win by producing a variety of ways, on both ends of the floor.
The not so good: Cunningham was also faulty — eight turnovers, including three in a 30-second span of the fourth, including a mystifying pair of poor passes plus an offensive foul in the final 2 1/2 minutes of a tight game.
One of those passes, an inbounds, was intercepted by Max Strus for a quick Cleveland transition basket. As is his nature, Cunningham wasn’t flustered; he answered with a dunk and 3-point shot a few possessions later and sent a shiver through the building.
4. The X-factors of Game 3
A few players not-so-quietly stood out Saturday:
Paul Reed, Pistons
There’s no guarantee what role players will do when tossed into the playoff heat. Well, Reed not only survived but showed he wasn’t intimidated by the assignment. He was solid — 11 points in 10 minutes, plus three rebounds, plus good defense. He did not try to blend in; at times, he stood out. Curiously, the Pistons stuck with Jalen Duren, who struggled over Reed down the stretch. Anyway, this performance should bless Reed with more minutes going forward.
Jarrett Allen, Cavs
Mostly a ghost through the first two games and often outplayed by Duren on the boards, Allen responded strongly Saturday. He was active at both ends. His play on the pick-and-roll with Harden was crisp; Allen scored 18 points, his high for the series, while Duren managed just 11 and even more important, only four rebounds.
Dennis Schröder, Cavs
He annoyed the Pistons with his play and especially his antics — routine for him — and finally put his fingerprints on the series. The backup guard also absorbed some of the ball handling chores from Harden, who had been mistake-prone, giving Cleveland another playmaking source; Atkinson at times had them on the floor together. Best of all, Schroder wasn’t over the top. He had 11 points in 22 minutes.
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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.
