Talk about a homecoming — the Indiana Pacers absolutely wowed Saturday’s crowd. They produced the biggest halftime lead in postseason history, utterly destroying the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers went on to establish a commanding 80-39 lead at the half. Even better, this 41-point advantage would go on to tie for the largest in NBA postseason history. With this commanding victory, Indiana takes a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, leaving the Cavaliers one loss away from elimination.
With head coach Rick Carlisle at the helm, the Pacers put their offensive firepower on full display. In doing so, they scored an incredible 129 points — tying their postseason-high total so far. Tyrese Haliburton was arguably the most important piece in the victory, chipping in 11 points to go with 5 dimes and 5 boards. One thing this team was great at doing was creating turnovers. They forced Cleveland into about four times the number of turnovers as field goals made over that same period.
The Cavaliers, led by coach Kenny Atkinson, entered the playoffs with a franchise-record 64 wins and had maintained their position at the top of the Eastern Conference all season. Their luck has turned completely around this series. Darius Garland made his mark for Cleveland, scoring 21 points. Even his outstanding play wasn’t enough to survive the Pacers’ constant onslaught. Evan Mobley had a hard time getting his footing and finished with just 10 points. Jarrett Allen had a very tough game, scoring only 2 points and grabbing only 2 rebounds.
With the star player Donovan Mitchell’s status up in the air, the Cavaliers enter the most important game of the series with their backs firmly against the wall. After the loss, Carlisle conceded there may be worse days coming, but pointed to his team’s resilience and determination to stay competitive.
“There’s going to be a big haymaker coming,” – Rick Carlisle
Carlisle further noted the respect he holds for the Cavaliers and their fanbase, stating, “We respect the heck out of their fans and what they got going there. A lot of work to do.” He reiterated his team’s commitment to approaching each game with determination: “We’re going to keep approaching this like we have everything to prove.”
Game 5 is Tuesday in Cleveland. The Cavaliers will make their stand to push back against elimination and reestablish the momentum in their direction. The tension is palpable as each side gets ready for what is sure to be a crucial rematch in the tournament.
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