CLEVELAND (Interstat) — James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116-109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points, seven assists and two rebounds. Jarrett Allen added 18 points and two blocks, and Evan Mobley contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for Cleveland, which will look to even the series when it hosts Game 4 on Monday afternoon at Rocket Arena.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd playoff game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished four assists in 38 minutes.

Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double for Detroit with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but the Pistons could not overcome a slow second quarter that saw them score only 18 points. Tobias Harris added 21 points and five rebounds, Duncan Robinson scored 15 points and Jalen Duren contributed 11 points and four rebounds.

The Cavaliers built a 32-30 lead after the first quarter behind Mitchell’s 32-point quarter for the team. Cleveland stretched the advantage in the second period, outscoring Detroit 32-18 to take a 64-48 halftime lead. The Pistons mounted a comeback in the third quarter, winning the period 33-19 to cut the deficit to 83-81. But the Cavaliers responded with a 33-28 fourth quarter, keyed by Harden’s late heroics.

Harden, who had struggled with turnovers and poor shooting in the first two games of the series in Detroit, made critical jumpers and a step-back 3-pointer in the final two minutes to seal the win. He also had a key assist on a Mitchell layup during the decisive stretch.

Cleveland shot 43 of 74 from the field for 58.1 percent, including 12 of 32 from 3-point range. The Pistons shot 41 of 91 for 45.1 percent and hit 9 of 25 from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers made 18 of 28 free throws, while Detroit was 18 of 22.

The Cavaliers dominated in shot blocking with seven rejections, led by two each from Allen, Mobley and Dennis Schroder, who also scored 11 points off the bench. Cleveland forced 15 turnovers and converted them into fast-break opportunities. Despite committing 15 turnovers themselves, the Cavaliers protected the ball enough to maintain control.

Detroit controlled the offensive glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds to Cleveland’s five. That advantage helped the Pistons generate second-chance points but they could not match the Cavaliers’ efficiency from the field. Detroit also recorded 12 steals and forced 15 turnovers, but the team committed 25 fouls compared to Cleveland’s 17.

The series now shifts back to Rocket Arena for Game 4 as the Pistons seek to regain a 3-1 lead. Detroit won Games 1 and 2 at home, 111-101 and 107-97, before Cleveland responded in front of its home crowd. The attendance for Game 3 was 19,432.

Cunningham’s triple-double was the highlight for Detroit. The 6-foot-6 guard played 39 minutes and added four steals to his stat line. He shot 11 of 24 from the field, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range, and made 3 of 4 free throws. Cunningham had been averaging 26.7 points and 7.8 assists over the previous four playoff games entering Saturday.

Robinson, a 6-foot-7 forward, hit 5 of 11 shots, including 3 of 7 from deep, and had three rebounds and four assists. Harris connected on 8 of 16 field goals and 4 of 5 free throws. Duren made 5 of 8 shots and grabbed four rebounds. Ausar Thompson contributed nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

For Cleveland, Allen shot 8 of 11 from the floor and added four rebounds. The 6-foot-9 center also had a key block on Thompson in the second quarter. Mobley, at 6-foot-11, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots while shooting 5 of 9 from the floor. Schroder provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes.

Mitchell’s 35-point afternoon included 14 field goals on 24 attempts, 4 of 9 from 3-point range and 3 of 5 from the free throw line. He reached the 2,000-point postseason milestone with a driving layup in the second quarter.

The game’s early minutes saw a flurry of action. Duren won the opening tip and Robinson hit a 24-foot 3-pointer from Cunningham for a 3-0 Detroit lead. Mitchell answered with a running layup, and Harden followed with a step-back 3. Cunningham responded with a 3 of his own off a Thompson assist. The first quarter featured seven lead changes before Cleveland took control.

Cleveland’s biggest lead came in the second quarter when a Sam Merrill free throw made it 36-34, but the Cavaliers then went on a run behind Allen’s dunks and Dean Wade’s 3-pointer. Detroit’s offense stalled, scoring just 18 points in the period, their lowest quarter of the game.

The Pistons’ third-quarter surge was led by Cunningham, who scored eight points in the period, and Harris, who added seven. Detroit shot 13 of 21 from the field in the quarter and held the Cavaliers to 7 of 15 shooting. A Cunningham layup with 5:05 left in the third tied the game at 73, and a Robinson 3-pointer later gave Detroit a brief lead. But Cleveland answered with a Mobley dunk and a Mitchell jumper to regain the advantage entering the fourth.

In the final period, Harden took over. With the score tied at 101, Harden drilled a 26-foot step-back 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining. After a Detroit miss, he hit a pull-up jumper. Following a Pistons turnover, Harden made another jumper to put Cleveland up by seven with 45 seconds left. Mitchell then sank two free throws to ice the game.

The series continues with Game 4 on Monday. Both teams have a quick turnaround before potential Games 5 and 6 later in the week.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 117, Detroit 108. Interstat’s ELO system had given Detroit a 60.40 percent probability to win. Cleveland was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 2.5 points. The total score of 225 went over the over-under line of 211.5.