Cleveland Cavaliers Game 5 Winners and Losers After First Playoff Road Win

The Cleveland Cavaliers earned their first road victory of the playoffs on Wednesday night, defeating the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in Game 5. 

This game went down to the wire, with the Cavaliers storming back late to force overtime after trailing for most of the game. They would then go on to close out the win behind big shots and key defensive stands. 

A victory like that is only accomplished through teamwork, and there were significant contributors who came together to get the job done, all deserving of recognition. 

Cleveland earned a much-needed road win behind a couple of big performances. Here are the winners and losers from Game 5. 

Winner: James Harden

When it came to delivering a clutch performance, James Harden turned back the clock to help the Cavaliers secure this win. His 30-point outing in Game 5 was fueled by big shots in key moments and important makes from the free-throw line. 

Harden and Evan Mobley led the team in minutes played with 43 on the night, and the two of them together is a recipe for success when it comes to offensive-to-defensive transition play. Harden’s veteran playoff experience is showing up in this series. 

In the last two games, Harden has played his part well as a leader of the team with his scoring. If he can continue this level of play, Cleveland will feel comfortable giving him 40+ minutes a night. 

Loser: Dean Wade

Dean Wade was part of Cleveland’s starting lineup again tonight, and while he did bring his defense, his offense was nonexistent.

That’s no overexaggeration either; in Wade’s 23 minutes, he had zero points on zero shot attempts while grabbing six rebounds. Five of those rebounds were defensive, which only served as possession starters. 

Wade brings important size to their lineup, which doesn’t go unnoticed. The Cavaliers would benefit from even a small amount of offensive production from him, even with a win. He could play a key role in the outcome of Game 6.

Winner: Max Strus

Most likely the most important player down the stretch in Game 5 was Max Strus. His electric three pointers in the fourth quarter helped Cleveland climb back into this one, and his defense was as stout as it’s ever been.

Strus played a large portion of this game, scoring 20 points with six three-point shots to keep Cleveland within striking distance. He also grabbed eight rebounds with one blocked shot and a key steal to score back-to-back baskets.

With players like Strus coming off the bench, Cleveland had the ability to mix in different rotations with him in the mix until they found something that clicked. Once they had the right lineup, Strus turned up the heat.

Loser: Sam Merrill

Another rotational player for Cleveland that has seen significant minutes is Sam Merrill, who only had six points in his 21 minutes played.

His lone pair of three-pointers came when the team needed them, but here’s another example of, “imagine if he would have done more.” Even in a win, Merrill could have poured it on Detroit with his sharpshooter ability.

With Merrill seeing a good chunk of minutes, especially in points in this game where offense was needed does show Kenny Atkinson isn’t afraid of challenging the Pistons. He can be trusted to get the call when needed, but he’ll need to find his rhythm at Rocket Arena for Game 6 on Friday night.

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