Cavs Notes: Game 5 win, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, James Harden

The Cavaliers looked finished late. Then they looked like a team with a great deal of belief.

Cleveland erased a nine-point deficit in the final minutes, stunned the Pistons 117-113 in overtime, and grabbed a 3-2 series lead on the road. It was the Cavs’ first road win of the postseason after an 0-5 start.

“That stretch right there says a lot about our progress,” coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. “Mental toughness progress. These guys, they never get down.”

Detroit had a 96.8 percent win probability late in regulation, per ESPN Analytics. Cleveland closed on a 23-10 run.

“Just the mental fortitude,” Donovan Mitchell said. “You have something to pull from. We’ve been here before.”

Now the Cavs are one win from the Eastern Conference finals. They get that chance at home on Friday.

“The biggest thing is just not get too high, get too low,” Mitchell said. “It’s 3-2. The series is not over.”

Strus delivers on both ends

Max Strus was the difference, and not just because of the shots.

He scored 20 points, hit six threes and defended Cade Cunningham when it mattered most. Cunningham had 39 points and nine assists, but struggled late when matched up with Strus.

“Resiliency, grit, take everything we had,” Strus said. “It wasn’t our best night offensively, but we found a way.”

James Harden summed it up.

“I don’t know if there’s necessarily one word,” he said. “One night he might have five points, but the things he’s doing don’t necessarily show up. He finds another level. You can plug and play him anywhere.”

That showed up in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Harden finding rhythm

Harden is starting to look like the piece Cleveland hoped it was getting.

He finished with 30 points and six assists, his best scoring night of the postseason, and continues to adjust to his role alongside Mitchell.

“This is new for me,” Harden said. “I’ve only been here 2½ months. Learning how to be a second option and play off Donovan, when to be aggressive.”

He added eight rebounds and three blocks and is beginning to settle into the offense.

“I think we’re building in the right direction,” Harden said. “There’s going to be times where we don’t look great, but we all have the right mindset of wanting to help each other.”

The Cavs are seeing the payoff at the right time.