The Eastern Conference semifinals have taken a dramatic turn, shifting the pressure squarely onto the Detroit Pistons. After dropping the first two games on the road, the Cleveland Cavaliers have stormed back to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night in Detroit. The resurgence has been fueled by dominant second halves, suffocating defense, and a takeover performance from Donovan Mitchell.
“It’s just a different story at 2-2,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Game 5 is going to be tough, and it’s in their building, but I think we made a statement winning these two games. That gives you confidence. As difficult as we know it will be there, playing at home in a 3-1 scenario is a lot different from 2-2. We’ve gained momentum from these two wins, and I believe we’ve figured some things out, both offensively and defensively. That gives us confidence going in.”
Cleveland has yet to win a road game in these playoffs, sitting at 0-5.
Mitchell overwhelmed Detroit in Monday’s 112-103 victory, scoring 21 points in the third quarter alone, matching the Pistons’ entire output in the period. The Cavaliers opened the second half with a blistering 22-0 run that effectively ended the contest before Detroit could respond. Mitchell finished with 43 points, 39 of
