What happened: Donovan Mitchell hit a clutch shot in the closing seconds to send Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons to overtime. The game, airing on ESPN, came down to a final possession with the season on the line for Cleveland. The Cavaliers entered the night trailing the series.
Why it matters: Cleveland has been on the brink throughout this series after Detroit took a 2-0 lead back to Cleveland, with Cunningham's late surge powering the Pistons in earlier games. Mitchell's late-game shot-making keeps the Cavaliers alive in a series that has trended toward Detroit, and overtime swings the win probability dramatically for a Cleveland team that needed every possession.
By the numbers: Series context: Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals per prior wire.report coverage (Pistons beat Cavaliers 107-97 on 2026-05-08; Cunningham late surge in Game 2). Game 5 was set for ESPN with Detroit leading the East semis.
What to watch: Watch the overtime period on ESPN to see whether Mitchell can close out the win and extend the series, or whether Detroit responds to take a commanding series lead. Postgame injury and minutes-load reports will matter for the next game.