(Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
It wasn’t pretty but the Cavaliers got it done, getting on the board in this series, winning game 3 by a score of 116-109. The Detroit Pistons now lead the series 2-1.
The Cavaliers were led offensively by Donovan Mitchell who has 35 points and 10 rebounds, and the was assisted by James Harden who had 19 points, and Jarrett Allen who put up 18 points with 2 blocks on the defensive end.
The Cavs came out slow again, being down by as much as 7 points in the first quarter but Donovan Mitchell, Dennis Schroder, and Jarrett Allen quickly got things going, getting the Cavs back in the game and eventually ending the first quarter on top 32-30.
The second quarter was so much different, with the Cavs out scoring the Pistons 32-18.
Video Credit: NBA on NBC and Peacock on X / NBA
Sam Merrill was huge in this quarter, scoring 4 points including an Off-balance 2 point bucket with the shot clock running down.
After that, the Cavs just went off, having their way in the paint, and kept the Pistons from scoring easy buckets. The Cavs went into halftime up 64-48 and it was looking like this was going to be a nice easy win for the Cavs…..
Ummm…….Nope.
The 3rd quarter flipped the entire game around, with the Pistons out scoring the Cavs 33-19, and took the lead 76-74 with 2:28 left in the quarter.
Cade Cunningham went off, scoring 10 in the quarter.
The Cavs regrouped, grabbing the lead on a 9-0 run, going up 83-76 but a 5-0 run with less than 6 seconds left on the game clock put the Pistons right back in striking distance, going into the 4th quarter, 83-81.
The 4th quarter was a back and forth battle, with both teams trading baskets.
But the star of the 4th quarter was hands down James Harden, who scored 9 of his 19 on the game in the 4th quarter, including 7 points in the last 1:30 of the quarter.
Harden sealed the deal with a step back 3 to make it a 113-109 game over Tobias Harris.
Video Credit: NBA on X
This is the first time James Harden has looked like James Harden in this playoffs and it was just a beautiful sight for Cavs fans.
This game was a game of runs with both teams going back and forth on big 5,6,7,8,9-0 runs.
Donovan Mitchell finally had a Donovan Mitchell playoff performance, and after the game praised the Cavs fans and talked about why he said on the court for a while after the game.
—-“The fans are a huge reason why I came back here. Every team feels this way but Cleveland fans are just so hungry for wins. To play in front of these fans is an honor and privilege. They show out every night.”
Max Strus was a demon, being everywhere on the court, doing almost everything, causing offensive fouls on the defensive end, hitting a big 3, stealing a inbound pass from Cade Cunningham in a tied 104-104 game, and playing good defense.
Max has been big for the Cavs, being one of those high energy guys, diving for loose balls and being aggressive. That’s what the Cavs need to see more of from others on the team. Championship teams have multiple of those type of players, and if the Cavs want to have a chance of winning a NBA Championship, we’re going to need to see more ASAP.
Hopefully the Cavs can take the momentum of this big win into game 4 on Monday night, where Cleveland looks to tie the series 2-2 before heading back to Detroit.
Tip-off is on Monday the 11th at 8:00 PM ET on Peacock.
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