The Cleveland Cavaliers evened their playoff series against the Detroit Pistons at 2-2 with a 112-103 victory in Game 4. The standout story was Donovan Mitchell’s electrifying second-half performance, as he single-handedly turned the tide for Cleveland.
Detroit held a 56-52 lead at halftime, capitalizing on Cleveland’s struggles from beyond the arc and ball movement. The Pistons were sharp, with Caris Levert providing a spark in the second quarter. However, everything changed after the break.
Cleveland erupted with a stunning 24-0 run early in the third quarter, the largest such burst for the franchise since the 1990s. Mitchell was the catalyst, scoring 21 points in the first eight minutes of the third, making 8 of 9 shots including two 3-pointers. He outscored the entire Pistons team in that stretch (21-20), a feat not seen for a Cavaliers player in the playoffs since LeBron James.
Mitchell finished with 43 points, 39 of which came in the second half—tying the NBA playoff record for most points in a half set by Eric Floyd in 1987. He missed a free throw with 27 seconds left that would have broken the record. Notably, no player had scored more than 35 points in a second half of a playoff game since Steve Nash in 1997. Cleveland outscored Detroit by 28 points when Mitchell was on the floor.
Evan Mobley also delivered a standout performance, tallying 17 points, 5 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 assists—a statistical line not seen in the Eastern Conference playoffs since Michael Jordan. With this game, Mitchell now has as many 30-point playoff games as Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, and Allen Iverson.
The series now shifts to Detroit for Game 5, with the Cavaliers carrying significant momentum.