The wild, wild East.
It is almost impossible to believe a game could be so dramatically different from the one the same two teams had played in just 48 hours earlier.
Friday night, the Cavaliers looked like world beaters and the dominant 64-win East leaders they were throughout the season, cruising to a 22-point win behind 43 points from their superstar Donovan Mitchell, who played like a guy deserving of First Team All-NBA.
Sunday was a completely different story, with the Pacers being the team in control, taking command from the opening tip, racing out to a double-digit lead with 5:15 left in the opening quarter, and the game never got closer than that. They led by 41 at the half, 80-39, extended that lead out to 44 at one point, and turned the second half into essentially 24 minutes of mop up duty.
The Pacers now have a decisive 3-1 lead in the series, and that is not even the biggest story or worst news for Cleveland and their fans.
Mitchell did not play in the second half due to an ankle/calf injury. He will get an MRI when the team returns to Cleveland on Monday, coach Kenny Atkinson said. What is most jarring and concerning is how it appeared to happen, a non-contact injury warming up for the second half. He had been playing through a minor calf issue that was not serious enough to show up on the injury report, and it is unclear if the two are related.
As for Game 4, Atkinson described it to a tee.
“Complete domination by them,” the Cavaliers coach said. “That’s the story — in every facet.”
The most drama came in the first quarter. In what has been an increasingly chippy, physical and volatile series, Bennedict Mathurin was tossed for what the officials called a “closed fist” punch to De’Andre Hunter. People are wondering how this gets reviewed by the officials and Hunter is not ejected as well, but he and Myles Turner were given slaps on the wrist with technical fouls.
Embed from Getty ImagesPascal Siakam scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, with Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each adding 20. Everything Indiana did seemed to work and have the Midas touch; they moved the ball and got open looks and shot 42.9% from 3-point range for the game.
Turner made all four of his 3-point attempts with Indianapolis 500 winners Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, WNBA Rookies of the Year Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, and former NFL star Reggie Wayne in the crowd looking on.
“We felt the last game, they set the tone from a physical standpoint”, Tyrese Haliburton said after finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. “Today, we came out and set the tone from the jump, really just rode that wave.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle sounded like a coach making sure his team does not take their foot off the gas, heading back to Cleveland for Game 5.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Carlisle said after earning his 33rd playoff win with Indiana, passing Larry Bird, who coached the team from 1997-2000, for the most in the franchise’s NBA history. “We’re going to keep approaching this like we have everything to prove. We know people don’t believe in us, so we’re just going to stay in the fight and keep fighting.”
Darius Garland, still playing through a strained toe, led the Cavaliers with 21 points, and he could have a lot more responsibility on his shoulders in Game 5 if Mitchell cannot play in a must-win game.
The No. 4-seeded Pacers can close it out Tuesday in Cleveland, where they have already won twice.
