The Cavaliers will look to get James Harden going and find an answer to Tobias Harris in Game 3.
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There’s no debate about the Detroit Pistons leading the Cleveland Cavaliers by two games in their conference semifinal because that’s fact. There is a debate about the width of the lead, however. Is it sizable or overcome-able?
The next game will offer clues. There are two factors in the Cavs’ favor — the series now shifts to Cleveland, and the Cavs engaged in tightly-contested fourth quarters in the two losses in Detroit.
That gives the Cavs some reasonable belief that they’re closer to the Pistons than the Detroit’s lead suggests. Should the Cavs clean up mistakes and apply a bit more elbow grease in the paint, they could head back to Detroit with a tied series.
“They’re going to have their home fans round them and they’re going to have more energy there,” said Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.
The NBA playoffs have a unique way of changing the conversation almost overnight. The next game doesn’t necessarily mirror the previous game. Adjustments are made and players respond to the challenge and in the case of the Cavs, the urgency. While Cleveland did battle back to dismiss the Toronto Raptors in the first round, falling behind to the top-seeded Pistons would represent a much tougher task.
The Cavs are unbeaten at home in the playoffs and they’ll need to extend that streak in order to extend this series.
Here’s what to watch Saturday in Game 3 in Cleveland (3 ET, NBC/Peacock):
1. James Harden’s response
His teammates and coaches are dismissing any concerns about him, at least publicly. He has issued the obligatory “My bads.” There will be a change of scenery because the next two games are in Cleveland and in front of friendly crowds. So there’s that.
There’s also this — Harden needs a strong comeback game, and pronto, or else the Cavs might not battle back from another setback and his playoff reputation might not survive another hit.
The turnovers, especially, are alarming. And his 3-point shooting needs polishing, not to mention his defense. Harden has enjoyed spurts in this series but otherwise his play has suffered and been a major reason — although not the only reason — the Cavs are down 0-2.
Here’s what’s on the line:
With a bounce-back performance, Harden will give himself and his team a boost of confidence and one less reason to worry. Should he minimize turnovers and make shots, suddenly the Pistons’ defense will be forced to adjust and throw double teams his way on occasion. His scoring will give Donovan Mitchell a breather and his passing would make Jarrett Allen in particular more dangerous on the screen-and-roll.
With another poor outing, Harden runs the danger of burying himself underneath his playoff history, which isn’t sparkling. It would also invite questions about the wisdom of trading for a 36-year-old and even more important, whether it’s worth signing him to a contract extension this summer.
“He’s going to figure this out,” said Mitchell.
It’s all up to Harden, starting Saturday.
2. Tobias Harris’ streak
The Pistons went through the 60-win regular season without a true No. 2 scorer. While Jalen Duren did average 19.5 points, much of that was generated by passes from Cunningham and second-chance shots; Duren rarely creates on his own or shoots beyond 15 feet. And in this series, those issues persist; he had just eight points in Game 2 and the Pistons are winning in spite of his offense.
Well: They now have that No. 2. Harris has increased his scoring by eight points from the regular season and is the necessary source of help for Cunningham. Furthermore, he’s scoring in a variety of ways and chopping up the Cleveland defense on isolations.
What y’all know about the Cade + Tobi combo pic.twitter.com/WeOOkdk59h
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) May 8, 2026
It’s now seven straight games of 20 or more points in the playoffs for Harris, who is distancing himself from poor playoff outings with the 76ers prior to arriving in Detroit. He doesn’t appear to be the same player.
The Cavs haven’t found the player or the tonic needed to place a speed bump in his path. This looms as their biggest defensive adjustment for Game 3 — how to silence a player who wasn’t slotted for this level of success before the playoffs began.
3. Battle of the boards
It’s not that the Pistons are thoroughly dominating the Cavs on and around the glass, but they’re getting all the important rebounds and inside baskets. This is a credit mostly to Duren, who has purchased all the real estate and is overcharging the Cavs for rent.
Evan Mobley had one rebound in 36 minutes in Game 2, which almost reads like a misprint. The Cavs can compensate with Allen and Mitchell but again, against a very physical opponent, Cleveland needs all the help it can get.
The offensive rebounds are allowing the Pistons second-chance possessions while denying fast breaks for the Cavs. And without those fast breaks, the Cavs often struggle to score in the half-court because of their turnovers.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.