CLEVELAND - James Harden bounced back from subpar showings to shine brightest when it counted Saturday afternoon.

He sank three critical shots, adding seven points in the last 90 seconds of the fourth quarter during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 triumph against the Detroit Pistons.

Coming off a Game 2 defeat where he managed only 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting, Harden rose to the occasion, tallying nine points in the final frame to quiet doubters as Cleveland fended off Detroit's rally and narrowed the series gap to 2-1.

"I love it," Harden remarked after finishing with 19 points, seven assists, and just three turnovers. "When my number is called, just getting to my spots. It's something I work on literally every day. It's basically repetition, and it's the confidence to go out there and do it."

Cleveland brought in Harden, a 17-year postseason veteran who has appeared in the playoffs annually, at the trade deadline precisely for high-stakes moments like this - to offer a reliable presence alongside superstar Donovan Mitchell, who poured in 35 points during Game 3.

Yet Harden faltered in the series' opening two contests. He connected on 32% of shots, including 1-for-11 from deep, across Cleveland's two losses in Detroit, while racking up more turnovers (11) than made field goals (nine).

Still, the Cavaliers stood firmly behind Harden. Mitchell vouched for his teammate post-Game 2, expressing no concern and predicting Harden would "figure it out." Though Mitchell topped scorers Saturday, he happily yielded to Harden late. The duo outscored Detroit 10-5 in the final 1:29.

"Because he's James Harden," Mitchell explained. "I am who I am. He is who he is, but that's what makes us so dynamic. You can choose.

"Having the ultimate trust in him and vice versa, I think, is why those moments happen."

Detroit erased a 16-point halftime deficit to thrust Cleveland into a do-or-die spot Saturday. The Pistons thrived there, securing four clutch wins this postseason - tops in the NBA - while Cleveland owned the league's worst mark with four clutch losses.

With the Cavs nursing a three-point edge and 1:29 left, Harden drove baseline and buried a 15-foot step-back jumper to push the margin to five. Cade Cunningham countered via dunk, but Harden slipped inside for a floater. Cunningham, author of a 27-point triple-double, fired back with a 28-foot pull-up 3 to trim it to two.

Harden struck once more with a signature 25-foot step-back triple, swelling the lead to five with 25.9 seconds on the clock.

"It's the James Harden I've seen for how many years he's been in the NBA," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson noted. "That's the James we know. We needed it tonight. It was the variety of his repertoire that was impressive."

Harden's early-series output had fueled talk of his playoff history. Despite 17 straight postseason trips, he lacks a title and has often underwhelmed when it matters most.

Post-game Saturday, Harden brushed off the noise, eyes fixed on team success in a long playoff push.

"I didn't average 30 points in the regular season, you know what I mean? I'm literally here to find my spots, figure out what needs to be done and try to contribute in the best way possible," Harden said. "Chatter is going to be chatter regardless. Whether you do something good, whether you do something bad. For me, still, you give me opportunities in this fourth quarter, and I take advantage of them.

"I've done an unbelievable job throughout the course of my career of just understanding what the job needs to be, especially as I get older, and doing whatever it takes to win the game. That's the most important thing."