Ken and Lima are absolutely buzzing after the Cavs rallied from nine points down with two and a half minutes left in regulation to beat Detroit in overtime, with Ken calling it the most inspiring win he has seen from this version of the Cavs and arguing it may have finally bought back the trust of a fan base that has been skeptical all season. James Harden played 43 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet, Max Struess came off the bench to score 20 points and made a crucial steal in overtime, and Evan Mobley finally showed a nasty streak that had been missing, getting cut up in the process but refusing to back down. Ken and Lima both agree that the soft label is officially dead after a night where Detroit fans ended up complaining that the Cavs were too physical, and that winning this kind of ugly, gritty road game in overtime might actually do more for the fan base's trust than a blowout win ever could. Ken closes by setting his sights on Friday's closeout game, fully believing the series ends in Cleveland.
The Cavs Just Killed the Soft Label and Woke Up Cleveland in One Night
James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima
The only place to talk about the Cleveland sports scene weekday mornings is with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima from 6-10a! The show guides you through…
