LeBron James again caused massive problems for the Pistons' defence, scoring 32 points and setting up Drew Gooden for the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds remaining in the game as the Cavs won 86-84.

After trailing 2-0 in the series, pundits were talking 'sweep', but Cleveland has fought back in impressive fashion behind the play of its All-Star.

"They aren't the Big Bad Wolf, and we aren't the Three Little Pigs," James told NBA.com.

"We're all grown men, and we know we can beat them."

Cleveland never fell behind last year's finalists in the second-half, and can now wrap-up the series at home on Friday.

Marshall had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 14 and 10 to back up James' haul for the Cavs.

Tayshaun Prince scored 21 points, Chauncey Billups added 17 and Richard Hamilton knocked in 15 for the Pistons, who committed 17 turnovers.

Meanwhile, defending NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs have shown that their dreams of a repeat are in tact with a thrilling 98-97 win over the Dallas Mavericks in game five of their Western Conference semi-final series.

Tim Duncan had an awesome night, racking up 36 points and 12 rebounds for the top-seeded Spurs, who still trail 3-2 in a vintage series.

Manu Ginobili (18 points) nailed a free-throw with 1:59 remaining to give the Spurs a 98-97 lead, and neither side managed to score again.

The Mavericks, who were led by Dirk Nowitzki's 31 points and 10 rebounds, had a chance to win the game through Jason Terry, but his last-ditch attempt close to the end was an airball.

Tony Parker scored 27 points and Michael Finley added 12 for the Spurs, who shot 54 percent (37-of-69) from the field, while Josh Howard scored 16 points and Terry and Devin Harris added 15 apiece for the Mavericks.

Dallas will have another chance to secure the series at home on Friday (US).