Hot in Cleveland!
Donovan Mitchell put on a show with a game-high 48 points, but the Cavaliers choked down the stretch, losing 120-119 to the Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.
Playing undermanned on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed an MVP playoff-caliber performance from Mitchell to keep pace with the high-flying Indiana Pacers. Mitchell did all he could do for the Cavaliers, but his 48 points were not enough, as Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton sank a three-pointer in the game’s final second to secure the victory, and a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
“I was (ticked) I missed the layup because I couldn’t hang onto the ball, so I backed it out. I just saw Ty Jerome, top of the key and knocked it down,” Haliburton said. “It’s the NBA, crazier things have happened. That’s just what basketball is. We don’t give up and we’re battle tested. We just find a way.”
Mitchell shot 50%, 15-of-30 from the field and 17-of-21 from the free-throw line, adding nine helpers, five rebounds and four steals. He already had put in a good day work by halftime, scoring 21 points, and 36 through three quarters, guiding Cleveland to a seven-point lead, 119-112, with less than a minute remaining in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.
But the game quickly flipped upside down, as the Pacers mounted an 8-0 run which ended in heartbreak for Cleveland fans, including Myles Garrett and a 120-119 win for the visiting Pacers. Game-changing moments included an offensive foul on Mitchell and a critical turnover by Max Strus on an inbounds pass.
“I feel like we outplayed them for the majority of the game and then towards the end we had our mental lapses. They capitalized on every single mistake that we made,” said Jarrett Allen, who had a solid double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith the Cavaliers lead cut to three points, and 12.4 seconds remaining on the clock, Haliburton was fouled and made his first free throw. He intentionally missed his second attempt but secured his own offensive rebound and buried a step-back 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left, doing his best Reggie Miller impression, who played for the franchise for 18 years, to give Indiana the lead, and the win.
“Obviously, we got lucky. Ty hit another amazing shot to win the game,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “You don’t see this very often, let alone twice in one week. Tyrese, he came through again. We’re very fortunate.”
With Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter all sidelined due to injury, the Cavaliers relied heavily on Mitchell throughout the entirety of contest. Still, the star shouldered all the blame, like the leader he is, after the game for Cleveland’s last-minute collapse, including Haliburton’s offensive board.
“I should have grabbed the ball,” Mitchell told reporters. “I was right there. That’s on me.” He also addressed the late offensive foul: “I tried to be strong with the ball. I knew they were going to trap… but the elbow was too high.”
The series now shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Friday night. “We’ve got to go get two in Indy. Simple as that,” Mitchell said. “We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about four or five days, or we can move on and take some things that we did really well and go from there.”
The Cavaliers have overcome 0-2 deficits three times in franchise history, most notably in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. But after Tuesday’s painful and deflating loss, Cleveland must regroup quickly or risk an early exit.
