Cavaliers Momentum: Harden Says They Are Building In The Right Direction After Game 5 Win

James Harden viewed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 117-113 overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 as proof that the team is progressing. The result delivered Cleveland a 3-2 advantage in the Eastern Conference semi-final series and, importantly, gave the Cavaliers their first road win of this postseason.

Cleveland had been 0-5 away from home in the current play-offs before this clash at Little Caesars Arena. The Cavaliers closed regulation with a 9-0 burst to force overtime, then finished the contest on a 23-10 run, overturning Detroit’s control in the final stages to take command of the series.

SCENES FROM THE DUB IN DET. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/juwANtxSxACleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 14, 2026

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham topped all

scorers with 39 points, yet Cleveland’s balanced attack decided the game. Harden finished with 30 points, Donovan Mitchell added 21 and Max Strus contributed 20. That combined output allowed the Cavaliers to edge clear in overtime and secure a crucial advantage in this Eastern Conference match-up.

Harden’s stat line underlined the impact. The guard added eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks, producing his highest scoring play-off performance since joining the Cavaliers. At 36 years old, Harden has now posted a 30-point play-off game for six different teams, which is unmatched across NBA history.

Those 30-point postseason outings have come with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and now Cleveland. Harden acknowledged that playing as a secondary offensive option beside Mitchell is still an adjustment but stressed that the Cavaliers’ approach and mentality suggest promising development.

"This is new for me, Harden said. I've only been here two-and-a-half months, you know what I mean? So the things that we were going through is all new. Learning how to be a second option and feed and play off Donovan, when to be aggressive when he has it going. Last game, second half, he did some things that we haven't seen in a very, very long time. And he's capable of doing that every single game. So finding when to be aggressive, wanting to be a playmaker and things like that. And then offensively finding what works for us. For me, to be successful, to get guys shots and open looks. I think we're building in the right direction. And throughout that process, there's going to be sometimes where we don't look as great, but I think overall we all have the right mindset of wanting to help each other do better. "

Game 5 not only shifted the series in Cleveland’s favour but also highlighted how Harden and Mitchell can share responsibilities late in games. With the Cavaliers now holding a 3-2 series lead and finally winning on the road, the focus will turn to whether this evolving partnership can close out Detroit.