NBA playoff winners and losers: James Harden comes up clutch for Cavs, Lakers still can't trust Deandre Ayton

The Pistons attempted 17 more field goals than the Cavaliers, but somehow still lost by seven points

James Herbert

Sam Quinn

May 9, 2026

11:20 pm ET

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7 min read

Getty Images

The second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs continued on Saturday with a pair of Game 3s.

In the first game, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a massive home win over the Detroit Pistons, the top seed in the East. Looking to avoid a 3-0 hole, the Cavs were able to withstand every Pistons run in a 116-109 victory to pull within 2-1 in the series. Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavs with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while James Harden had 19 points and seven assists and closed things out with three clutch buckets, including the dagger 3-pointer with 25.9 seconds to play.

In the nightcap, the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their playoff dominance with a 131-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder, the reigning champions, are still unbeaten in this year's postseason and can complete a sweep with a win in Game 4 on Monday.

Here are the winners and losers from Saturday's action:

Winner: Cavs' clutch backcourt

James Harden stepped up when it mattered most

Let's start with Harden, who has (understandably) taken a lot of heat for recording more turnovers than made field goals in four separate games this postseason, including the first two games of this series. Harden wasn't the star of the show for most of Saturday's 116-109 win, but late in the fourth quarter, he took over.

First, with the Cavaliers up just two points, Harden targeted Tobias Harris in a pick-and-roll, got the switch and went into iso mode. Given how his old Houston Rockets teams disdained the midrange, it amuses me that this stepback middy has become such a hallmark of Harden's game in recent years:

> James Harden hits the step back jumper to put the Cavaliers up 4, with 89 seconds remaining in regulation (with replays) pic.twitter.com/jnkzK0wWqt

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 9, 2026

Then, after a huge Cade Cunningham dunk, Harden hunted Duncan Robinson, shook him with a crossover and made a clutch floater over Jalen Duren:

> JAMES HARDEN PUTS CLEVELAND UP 4.

CADE CUNNINGHAM BRINGS DETROIT WITHIN 1.

HIGH-LEVEL 4Q HOOPS ON NBC/PEACOCK 😳 pic.twitter.com/c5zx0ehGYy

— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2026

Cunningham responded with a 3, setting up the biggest bucket of the day. Harden went at Harris again, danced with the ball and then drilled a three in his face, giving Cleveland a four-point lead with 25.9 seconds left:

> CLUTCH BUCKET BY JAMES HARDEN 💯

CAVS WIN GAME 3 AT HOME.

DET (2-1) CLE I Game 4: Monday, 8pm/et, NBC/Peacock pic.twitter.com/5pGwd3ZUOy

— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2026

Asked how he quieted the chatter in his walkoff interview with NBC's Ashley ShahAhmadi, Harden said, "What chatter?"

He continued: "I play basketball, and whatever this team needs me to do, I'm going to go out there and do it. So letting the game play out. Fourth quarter, my number was called, and I go to work."

Before that seven-point outburst, Harden had done most of his damage as a passer. Operating out of high pick-and-rolls, he set up a massive Evan Mobley dunk and repeatedly created wide-open 3s. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting and seven assists in 40 minutes, and Mitchell, his backcourt partner, had a game-high 35 points on 13-for-24 shooting, plus 10 rebounds and four assists.

> YOU CALL HIM, HE'S THERE.

YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDAAAAAAAAAA.@spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/tdKgbooK72

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 9, 2026

With the exception of the disastrous third quarter, Mitchell and Harden built on some of the good stuff that they did offensively in the second half of Game 2. Led by their two star playmakers, the Cavs got into their offense more quickly, attacked matchups more purposefully and put more pressure on the rim. As a result, Cleveland had far and away its most efficient offensive game of the series. -- James Herbert

Loser: Deandre Ayton gets benched

Lakers big man struggled mightily on the glass

The ongoing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Ayton saga persists for the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. It's a shame, too, because for most of the past two months, Deandre Ayton has more or less been exactly what the Lakers have hoped he'd be: low-maintenance on offense, physical on the glass, generally engaged defensively. That's the version of him that took the Suns to the Finals in 2021 and got a max contract a year later. That's the version of him that showed up for the most part in the first round against Houston.

And tonight against the Thunder, especially in the second half, we got the version of Ayton that Portland was eager to buy out. Ayton had one defensive rebound. He failed to get to the line for the second time this series. The Lakers allowed 64 points in the paint, quite a few of th