Cavs vs Pistons predictions. Who wins Game 5 of NBA playoff series?

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The Cavaliers bounced back from being punked by the Pistons in Games 1 and 2 in Detroit, turning the tables with impressive victories in Games 3 and 4 in Cleveland.

Now the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series returns to Michigan tied 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at Little Caesars Arena.


Here are Game 5 predictions from Beacon Journal sports writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich:

Cavs vs Pistons predictions. Who wins Game 5? | Ryan Lewis​

• NBA squads having some home/away splits is one thing, but the degree to which the Cavs have looked like a completely different team is pretty wild. At Rocket Arena, the Cavs are 6-0 and look like the top team in the East. On the road in these playoffs, they're 0-5 and haven't even looked like a playoff team.
• Games 3 and 4 in Cleveland provided the Cavs with some really positive signs. James Harden woke up and has looked fantastic since the final minute of Game 3. Donovan Mitchell went nuclear and took over a game. Evan Mobley was "everywhere" on the defensive end and wasn't too far away from the first 5X5 game in playoff history. And Jarrett Allen had the home fans chanting his name. For Cleveland, the second half of Game 4 was the script.
• And yet, it feels precarious to think those trends will continue given the Cavs' road form in the playoffs thus far. It would also make sense to think that Jalen Duren will bounce back in Game 5, given it looked like he wasn't sure where he was half the time in Game 4. A lot will be made about the free throw disparity, and the way that has ebbed and flowed this series. If anything, regression to the mean in Game 5 would lead to an advantage for the physical Pistons.
• Pistons 109, Cavs 106

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Cavs vs Pistons Game 5 predictions | Nate Ulrich​

• Why must the collective personality of the Cavs drastically change when they play anywhere other than Cleveland this postseason? It's frustrating to observe because the talent — and potential to truly contend — is clearly on the roster. In the 2026 playoffs, the Cavs are 6-0 at home and 0-5 on the road (0-3 in Toronto and 0-2 in Detroit). Scientists should study the Cavs' brain waves at home versus on the road because this must be a mental obstacle.
• And, yes, the home team is going to benefit from the whistle more than the visiting team. This officiating phenomenon is also tied to psychology. In other words, the Pistons are probably going to have an advantage in this area during Game 5, especially because coach J.B. Bickerstaff complained about the calls after the Cavs shot 34 free throws and the Pistons 12 in Game 4. Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell had 15 free throws.
• "It's unacceptable," Bickerstaff said. "... Ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed. There's no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We're not a settle team. We're not a jump-shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint. So, what was done out there tonight, it's frustrating, but we can't allow that to be the reason why [we lose]. But, again, you look at the foul count, you look at the disparity and that's hard to overcome. And you wonder the reason why. It's interesting since [Cavs coach] Kenny [Atkinson] made his comments publicly about us the whistle's changed in this series."
• A friendly whistle is especially important to an ultra-physical, defensive-minded team like the Pistons.
• Pistons 112, Cavs 105

The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons predictions for Game 5

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