Once again, when the going got tough, James Harden got going. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Detroit Pistons in overtime, 117-113, in Game 5 at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round series in the playoffs.

Harden sank critical free throws and made smart plays in the extension to fend off the Pistons and move closer to advancing to the conference finals.

He finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. According to StatMuse, Harden joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kobe Bryant as the only guards with such numbers in the playoffs since 2010.

While the former MVP could have shot better from the charity stripe, his three free throws in the last 1:26 in overtime were enough to keep the Cavaliers afloat. He was 8-of-8 from the line before going 3-of-6 in his final trips.

Harden also came up big in Game 4 with 24 points, 11 assists, and three steals.

While he struggled from the field in Game 5, shooting just 8-of-21, including 3-of-10 from long range, his playmaking kept the Pistons at bay. He has been criticized for supposedly disappearing in crucial moments in the playoffs, but the 11-time All-Star has been quite clutch against Detroit.

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Donovan Mitchell added 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Evan Mobley, who knew exactly what they should do on the road, tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks.

The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will try to finish off the top-seeded Pistons in Game 6 at Rocket Arena on Friday.

Cleveland is looking to get to the conference finals for the first time since 2018.