The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers suffered another setback in their second-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. On Tuesday night, the Pacers edged out the Cavaliers with a narrow 120-119 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Despite another stellar performance from Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland struggled to keep up with Indiana’s balanced offense and was clearly affected by the absence of key players such as De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland.
With less than two seconds remaining in the game, Tyrese Haliburton delivered a clutch three-pointer to seal the win for Indiana, turning a two-point deficit into a thrilling victory. This crucial shot helped the Pacers take a 2-0 lead in the series and put them in a strong position moving forward.
Late Game Magic From Indiana Pacers As Tyrese Haliburton Sinks Cavs
Tyrese Haliburton pulled off a rare play by intentionally missing a free throw, recovering the rebound himself, and then drilling the game-winning shot. Since being voted as an “overrated player,” Haliburton has stepped up with added determination. His game-winning three was a powerful response to the criticism. He finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 7-of-11 shooting in 36 minutes.
WHAT THE HALI X2
TYRESE HALIBURTON WITH THE GAME-WINNING THREE TO BEAT CLEVELAND AND GO UP 2-0 IN THE SERIES pic.twitter.com/DzYFrbuAZq
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2025
Aaron Nesmith made a big impact with 23 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and five three-pointers.
Myles Turner recorded 23 points, eight rebounds, and one assist. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 19 points. Andrew Nembhard had 13 points, and Pascal Siakam recorded 12 points, four assists, and six rebounds.
On the Cavs’ side, Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 48 points. He also tallied nine assists and five rebounds while shooting 17-of-21 from the free-throw line. Mitchell now ranks sixth all-time in NBA playoff history for the most 45-point games, behind only Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, and Jerry West.
Jarrett Allen posted 22 points, three assists, and 12 rebounds. Max Strus added 23 points, four assists, and eight rebounds, while Sam Merrill added 14 points and four rebounds.
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