Donovan Mitchell tied an NBA playoff record with 39 points in the second half Monday night and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 112-103 in Game 4 to even the series at 2-2. He finished with 43 points, and his missed free throw with 27.6 seconds left meant he fell one point short of breaking the mark.
Mitchell's outburst matched the postseason standard set by Eric "Sleepy" Floyd in 1987 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Cleveland had trailed 56-52 at halftime before ripping off a 24-0 run and outscoring Detroit 38-21 in the third quarter, turning a tense home game into a statement win that sent the teams back to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
The Cavaliers needed it. They had won back-to-back home games in the series after dropping the first two, and Monday's result kept alive a striking split: Cleveland is 6-0 at home this postseason and 0-5 on the road. Mitchell said teammates kept reminding him he had missed the free throw that would have broken the record, but he made clear that the only number that mattered was the series score. The focus now shifts to Detroit, where the Cavs will try to prove their home form can travel.
Mitchell did not do it alone. James Harden had 24 points and 11 assists, while Evan Mobley delivered 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five blocks and three steals. Detroit got 19 points from Cade Cunningham, who also had six assists and five turnovers, and 16 points from Tobias Harris, but the Pistons were undone by five turnovers in a stretch that coincided with Cleveland's surge. Harden said the Cavs' starters had not been great to open games and halves, then added that the team's best work came when it started with defense and got everyone on the same page. He called that approach sustainable.
Mitchell said he was not trying to force the issue early. Once the game opened up, he looked for chances to get downhill and let the shots come to him. That patience turned into one of the biggest scoring bursts in playoff history, but not quite a new record. It also gave Cleveland exactly what it came home to get: another win, a split series and one more chance to control the matchup when it resumes Wednesday.
