The Cavaliers defeat the Pistons, 112-103, in Game 4 to tie the series 2-2.
There are suddenly signs of a shift in this conference semifinal, which is now tied at two games each, and will return to Detroit a lot different than when it left following the first two games.
That’s because the Cleveland Cavaliers have roared back against the Pistons and snatched their chain in the latest outing, which was broken open with a burst in the third quarter that couldn’t be described as a run, more like a sprint.
All told, the Cavs scored 22 straight points to start the quarter before the Pistons finally responded. And that was the ballgame.
The home teams have held court through four games and now it’s best-of-three. In this situation, it’s usually up to the stars to decide things, and right now Donovan Mitchell has a comfortable lead over Cade Cunningham. Mitchell’s Game 4 was that massive and Cunningham’s answer was that quiet.
Here are the takeaways from the Cavs’ big Game 4 win:
1. Mitchell is The Don
Donovan Mitchell erupts for 39 second-half points, the most in any half of a playoff game in the play-by-play era.
He has had big playoff performances before, most notably with the Utah Jazz and especially in that bubble duel with Jamal Murray and the Nuggets.
But this one ranks up there. His eighth 40-piece in the playoffs came at the right time for the Cavs and gave Cleveland a source of confidence in this series.
Mitchell refused to be denied on Monday, and therefore the Cavs weren’t, either.
He did what stars are supposed to do: rescue his team when there’s a sense of urgency and carry his teammates if necessary.
His 21-point third quarter — matching the Pistons’ entire total — and really his 39-point second half was a tornado and too much for Detroit to handle. The Pistons tried everything and everyone defensively and nothing worked. Mitchell either went downhill or faked going downhill and put his defender on skates.
So what are we to make of his 43-pointer? Well, it’s only the top performance of this series by anyone so far. Mitchell has raised the bar not only for himself, but for Cade Cunningham and anyone else to match. If they can. And if Mitchell continues at this pace, it’ll be hard for the Pistons to prevent the Cavs from reaching the conference finals.
He took more free throws than the entire Pistons team, 15 attempts to 12. That was hard for Detroit to comprehend. It’s also hard to remember or believe that he had only four points in the entire first half on Monday.
But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish off the opponent.
“Incredible performance, what a shift,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson.
2. Pistons search for a big man
Other than a few stretches during the first two games in Detroit, Jalen Duren has struggled. He hasn’t found a rhythm offensively all series — and really all playoffs — and Monday he was strong-armed by the Cavs and Evan Mobley, who had five blocks and three steals and looked like the player who earned 2024-25 Kia Defensive Player of the Year honors. Finally, with help from Jarrett Allen, the Cavs won all the big-boy moments against the more physical Pistons.
The Pistons and coach JB Bickerstaff might have a decision to make in the next game. If Duren delivers another subpar performance — he had just eight points, four turnovers and more improbably, two rebounds in 26 minutes — will he get yanked for Paul Reed?
For the second straight game, Reed was a better player and option.
Giving a role player (like Reed) more minutes than an All-Star (like Duren) might seem like a drastic move. But Reed, who shot 11-for-13 in the last two games, has earned more than a look.
As for Duren, this represents a decline from his solid regular season, when he was a factor at both ends. His scoring average itself is down a whopping 10 points. Mobley was the bigger big man during these two games in Cleveland.
3. Harden’s series comeback
James Harden puts up 24 points along with 11 assists in a Game 4 win for the Cavaliers.
In a best-of-seven playoff series, conversations can change in a hurry. That’s why it was premature to shovel dirt on James Harden even after a pair of poor performances in Detroit, even after a personal playoff history that didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt.
As it turned out, Harden looks fine after all. For the second straight game, he was a problem for Detroit. He had his first double-figure assist game (11) with three steals and looked more comfortable with the ball.
Not only did Harden draw contact (9-for-9 on free throws) and relish the isolation challenges, but he also finished with 24 points and put the Detroit defense on alert.
This was the best result of the Harden-Mitchell backcourt this series.
Finally, both played efficient, productive basketball and looked harmonious together, especially in the third quarter. This is what Cleveland envisioned when the trade was made to bring Harden to Cleveland at midseason.
4. Cunningham worn down?
When he’s inefficient and reckless, it’s fair to wonder if the load is getting too big. Or maybe he just had an off night. Whatever, Cunningham was curiously ineffective for the Pistons and when that happens, the odds of winning aren’t in Detroit’s favor.
Cleveland’s defense on him was superior. The Cavs made him work and timed their double-teams just right, forcing Cunningham to make quick decisions; Mitchell and Dean Wade were especially solid when matched against him. As a result, he had almost as many turnovers (five) as assists (six). The Cavs will take that ratio any day; that formula doesn’t work in the Pistons’ favor, given what Cunningham means to the flow.
Most telling was his eight-second violation in the third quarter when he was checked closely by Max Strus while bringing the ball up court.
Cunningham inexplicably lost his court sense and that rare blunder was a symbol of the night for him — and summed up the two-game stay in Cleveland for his team.
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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.
