James Harden #1 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on against the Detroit Pistons during overtime in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.  Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP (

DETROIT— James Harden scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Pistons led by 15 points in the first half and 103-94 with two-plus minutes left. The Cavs rallied and pulled into a 103-all tie on Evan Mobley’s free throws with 45.2 seconds left.

READ: NBA Playoffs: Donovan Mitchell flips Game 4 for Cavs vs Pistons

Cleveland went on a 13-0 run and held Detroit scoreless for five minutes from late in fourth quarter to midway through overtime. The Cavs went ahead by seven with 2:39 left in OT on Mitchell’s 3-pointer.

Cade Cunningham, who had 39 points and nine assists, made a jumper to pull the Pistons within two points with 25 seconds left.

Harden made one free throw on the ensuing possession and rebounded his missed second attempt. He made another free throw to help seal the win.

James Harden BALLED OUT in Game 5:

30 PTS8 REB6 AST3 BLK3 3PM

Cavs can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win on Friday at 7:00pm/et on Prime 😤 pic.twitter.com/XKrFpIsyh4

— NBA (@NBA) May 14, 2026

Advertisement

Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland, where the fourth-seeded Cavs will get the first of two chances to advance to face the New York Knicks in the East finals.

If the top-seeded Pistons win, they will host Game 7 on Sunday.

Cleveland won the first road game of the series — and its first as a visitor this postseason.

The Pistons had won four straight games at home since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in Game 5 of the first round.

Harden had eight rebounds and six assists. Max Strus made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Cavs, Mobley added 19 points and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and nine rebounds.

Starting in place of the injured Duncan Robinson, Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points for the Pistons. Tobias Harris missed 13 of 19 shots and scored 13 points, and Jalen Duren was limited to nine points and five rebounds.

Mitchell was held to single digits in the first half for the second straight game, and couldn’t repeat his performance after halftime in Game 4. He was in pain after turning his right ankle in the first half.

Mitchell tied an NBA playoff record with 39 points in the second half and scored 43 points to help the Cavs rally to win Game 4.

The Pistons started the second quarter shooting 8 of 8 to take a 15-point lead.

Cunningham made a sixth 3-pointer, setting a career playoff high, and Jenkins connected from beyond the arc with 5:25 left in regulation to give Detroit a six-point lead and cap a 10-0 run that wasn’t enough the seal the win in regulation.

The road to ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on Prime Video runs through the scale. Before the world’s greatest martial artists can throw down at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, May 15, they must clear one final hurdle.

Every athlete who is scheduled for action must successfully weigh in and pass their hydration tests to ensure they’re healthy and ready to compete at their absolute best.

Advertisement

Fans can watch the official ONE Fight Night 43 Weigh-Ins & Hydration Tests by clicking the video below beginning at 6 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. ICT on Thursday, May 14.

In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai will put his 26 pounds of gold on the line against Dagestani contender Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov.

Tang, who is China’s first male MMA World Champion, carries a 19-3 record into the contest and has demolished every featherweight competitor who has stood across from him in the squared circle.

But when he steps into the ring in U.S. primetime this Friday, he will meet Gasanov. The Dagestani sensation has been near-flawless in his career. He owns an 18-1 slate and rides a five-bout winning streak, capped by a unanimous decision victory over Garry Tonon – the very man who handed him his only career defeat. One more triumph will give “The Cobra” his sweetest win to date.

Hearts boss Derek McInnes described the controversial last-minute penalty awarded to Celtic to take the Scottish Premiership title race down to the final day as “disgusting”.

Hearts, bidding to win a first league title since 1960, were on course to take a three-point advantage and a superior goal difference to Celtic Park for a final day shoot-out after beating Falkirk 3-0.

Celtic, though, kept the title in their hands as Kelechi Iheanacho’s 99th-minute penalty secured a 3-2 win at Motherwell, but in highly dubious circumstances as Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson was ruled to have handled.

Nicholson, though, appeared to have headed the ball away and it left McInnes feeling it was “us against everybody” in the title race. “It’s such a bad decision,” McInnes said. “It is quite disgusting, to be honest.”

Former England striker Gary Lineker agreed, posting on X: “This might be the worst VAR decision I’ve seen (and there’s a lot of competition). Extraordinary given the significance.”

Hearts can still win the title if they avoid defeat at Celtic on Saturday, while the hosts need to win to claim a 14th title in 15 years and momentum is on their side after six wins in a row.

Jens Berthel Askou on ‘unreal moment’ penalty was given

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou was as enraged over the penalty decision as Derek McInnes.

“I think the big question is, what are we even doing here, when things like that happen? I’m in total shock. I thought I’d seen it all this year, but apparently I haven’t. It’s shocking, it’s a shame for the game.

Advertisement

“Let’s say he actually did touch his hands, which I can’t see, no matter what angle I look at… Also, you can see the way the ball gets power, where the kid connects with the head and has a lot of power when it goes through. It’s a crazy thing to be part of, and I think the game deserved a lot better than that.”

Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 05:34

Derek McInnes on controversial penalty: ‘Us against everybody’

“It feels like us against everybody. When you see the two [decisions] that we didn’t get at the weekend and then you see that… How they can arrive at that situation? Celtic have a touch, more than a touch, of fortune in getting that penalty. I’m getting more and more dismayed at some of the decisions that our referees are coming up with.

“It’s such a bad decision. Motherwell must feel totally aggrieved with it. I had to keep looking at it. thought I was missing something when I was watching it. I had to ask, what am I looking for here? It’s actually quite disgusting.”

Advertisement

Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 04:34

Derek McInnes on Celtic: ‘They deserve a lot of credit’

“I think Martin [O’Neill] deserves a lot of credit, because they’re on such a good run of form.

“Us and Celtic have been the best teams over the last wee while. Obviously we’ve been top of the league for a long time, but like any true champion, there’s a pride there and you can see that. I think what Martin’s done is made Celtic more of a team than individuals.

“I thought that looking at the Old Firm game at the weekend and I think that comes from the manager. So sometimes in life you’ve just got to go and beat the champion again and take what you want to be yours, whether it’s boxing or any sort of sport.

Advertisement

“So that’s what it looks like we’re gonna have to do. We don’t need to win, but certainly need to get down there and put in a performance, and it’s set up perfectly.”

Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 03:34

‘“I’d heard there was a penalty – I didn’t need to ask who for

Derek McInnes on feeling “flat” at full-time despite Hearts going into the final day at the top of the table.

Advertisement

“It’s hard not to feel that everybody felt a bit flat and it wasn’t your normal final home game.

“I’d heard there was a 96th minute penalty… I didn’t need to ask who for, and it was going to VAR. Obviously it’s Celtic who have scored.”

Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 02:34

Advertisement

A 90-minute final

The last time two opponents went head-to-head for the title on the final day of the season was 1991, when Rangers beat Aberdeen at Ibrox.

Who will triumph in 2026?

Mike Jones14 May 2026 01:34

Advertisement

Shankland’s thoughts on title race

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland stopped by BBC Sportsound and spoke about the title race.

He said: “We were fully prepared for going to Celtic Park at the weekend and needing a result. Obviously we were aware the situation could have changed but all that was in our heads was to win tonight and go again at the weekend.

“We’ve been there and won a couple of times during my time as a Hearts player. We go there confident and we’ve been top of the league all season.

“It’s a 90-minute cup final, it’s as simple as that. If you offered us that at the start of the season we would have taken it all day.

Advertisement

“It’s going to be two teams looking to go for it and going for a title and it’ll be exciting for everyone.”

Mike Jones14 May 2026 00:34

Hearts unbeaten against Celtic

This season Hearts have been in the type of form that wins league titles. They are now just 90 minutes away from securing a historic win but it is Celtic who stand in their way.

But, Hearts are unbeaten against the defending champions this season, winning two of the three meetings, including a 2-1 triumph at Celtic Park in December.

Advertisement

Mike Jones13 May 2026 23:54

‘Worst VAR decision ever’: Hearts rage at ‘disgusting’ Celtic penalty call which keeps title race alive

Hearts boss Derek McInnes slammed a “disgusting” late penalty awarded to Celtic on Wednesday night – which stretched a dramatic Scottish Premiership title race to the final day.

Hearts, eyeing their first title in 66 years, had one hand on the trophy after their 3-0 win over Falkirk, with Celtic drawing 2-2 away at Motherwell. If it ended that way, Celtic would have needed to win by six goals or more in their final day showdown on Saturday to win the title.

Advertisement

Kieran Jackson13 May 2026 23:48

Celtic will get the job done

Former Celtic defender, Darren O’Dea, spoke about his old club’s chances of winning the title on Saturday and told BBC Radio Scotland:

“I don’t think Celtic will blow Hearts away by any means but I do think they will get the job done.

Advertisement

“The energy from the crowd will be through the roof.”

Mike Jones13 May 2026 23:45

Celtic now favourites for title

With Celtic only being one point behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table it’s all or nothing in the final match of the season this Saturday.

Advertisement

The two title rivals face off against each other at Celtic Park and it is the Hoops who are the favourites to win the game and the league with bookers.

Celtic are 4/6 favourites to pip Hearts to the post and it’ll be a fascinating encounter.

Hearts only need to avoid defeat while Celtic need to win but with a home crowd backing them, Celtic probably do have a slight advantage.

Mike Jones13 May 2026 23:34

Advertisement

Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius scores a contentious goal in stoppage-time against Everton to secure a 1-0 win at the Emirates. The victory moves Arsenal into second place in the WSL ahead of the final day of the season.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 1-0 Everton

Available to UK users only.

A popular AEW star has finally made their return to the company earlier tonight on Dynamite following a brief absence. They have now set their sights on a top name on the roster.

Mark Briscoe has become one of the fan-favorites within the promotion, and his great charisma helps with this. He has been on a brief absence since early March, reportedly due to an injury. The nature of the injury was not disclosed, nor was a recovery timeline given.

Earlier tonight on AEW Dynamite, the Conglomeration was backstage as they spoke about their future plans. The group has earned themselves a tag team title shot after Orange Cassidy defeated Dax Harwood during their Double Jeopardy match last week. It will be Cassidy and Roderick Strong who will be challenging for the belts.

Kyle O’Reilly, on the other hand, has set his sights on Jon Moxley and his AEW Continental title. He noted how he had his number and was ready for a rematch. As for Willow Nightingale, she is the TBS Champion and one of the entrants in this year’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. She looks to come away with two belts after the tournament ends.

After all of this, Orange Cassidy brought up how they should bring back their Word of the Day tradition. Before anything could be done, Roderick Strong shouted Mark Briscoe’s name, and in came the former TNT Champion. This was his first AEW appearance since March 11, when he teamed up with the Young Bucks to take on FTR and Tommaso Ciampa.

Briscoe then said the word of the day, before taking time to challenge Tommaso Ciampa to a match for next week. They have some unsettled business, and the Sussex County Chicken wanted payback after Ciampa turned on him a few months ago. It seems that all members of the Conglomeration will be busy for the rest of this month.