Pacers eliminate Cavaliers, move to Eastern Conference finals: Tyrese Haliburton leads Indiana past No. 1 seed

The Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season

The East's top seed has been eliminated. With their 114-105 win in Game 5 on Tuesday night, the Indiana Pacers knocked out the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season. The Pacers will now face either the Boston Celtics or New York Knicks with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. 

The Cavs won 64 games in the regular season, the second-most in franchise history, but fell well short of expectations. Cleveland's best chance at a non-LeBron James title went up in smoke amid a series of missed 3-pointers and injuries to almost every core player on the roster. Darius Garland played the postseason with a sprained big toe, and he was a mess in Game 5. Donovan Mitchell fought through an ankle injury and nearly brought the Cavaliers back late, but he wasn't himself for three quarters. Mitchell ended with a game-high 35 points, but he shot 8 for 25 from the floor (and 15 for 21 from the free-throw line).

The Pacers won two close games on the road to start this series and then won in blowout fashion in Game 4. Indy led by 41 points (tying an NBA playoff record) at halftime and cruised to victory, setting up their chance to clinch Tuesday in Game 5 in Cleveland. Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and added eight assists and six rebounds in the clinching game.

The Cavaliers had no trouble with the Miami Heat in the first round. Cleveland swept Miami in the most lopsided series in NBA history, outscoring the Heat by 122 points in four games. But the dominance stopped there.

Cavaliers vs. Pacers scores, results

Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104
Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109
Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105 (Pacers win series, 4-1)

[May 13, 2025 at 9:44 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

FINAL: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105

And that's a wrap on the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, folks. The Indiana Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference finals after beating the Cavaliers in Game 5 to secure a 4-1 series victory. Cleveland's best chance at a non-LeBron James title has gone up in smoke amid a series of missed 3-pointers and injuries to almost every core player on the roster.

Darius Garland played the postseason with a sprained big toe, and he was a mess in Game 5. Donovan Mitchell fought through an ankle injury and nearly brought the Cavaliers back late, but he wasn't himself for three quarters. Evan Mobley missed Game 2 with an ankle sprain, and that was the hardest loss of the series. Cleveland didn't hit its 3s all series and shot just 9-of-35 from deep in the series-ending loss. Now, with an enormous payroll and no conference finals trips with this core, the Cavaliers must figure out how to respond to this devastating defeat.

The Pacers, meanwhile, got a maestro performance out of Tyrese Haliburton. He scored 31 points and added eight assists and six rebounds in the series-clinching win, but the Pacers have done this as a team. Their depth is what makes them special. Everyone who plays can create his own shot, and almost everyone defends. They're peaking at the right time, and with the Celtics presumably out of the mix following Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear, they have a very real chance to reach the NBA Finals.

[May 13, 2025 at 9:08 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Cleveland is coming apart at the seams

Cleveland's first-half lead got as big as 19. It just didn't last. The Pacers have won the second and third quarters by 21 combined points and are now up by nine going into the fourth quarter. Cleveland is on the ropes. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are visibly injured. Nobody is making 3s. If they have anything left in the tank, we'll see it now.

[May 13, 2025 at 8:55 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Donovan Mitchell back from locker room

Things have gone from bad to worse for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell, struggling through a tough shooting night, seemingly tweaked his ankle injury in the third quarter and is now headed to the locker room. With Indiana now leading by six, Cleveland's season is flashing before its eyes.

UPDATE: Mitchell is back back, but with Indiana up nine, he needs to step up immediately.

[May 13, 2025 at 8:18 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Halftime: Cavaliers 56, Pacers 52

Games 3 and 4 between the Pacers and Cavaliers were mostly lopsided, but Game 5 has been a delight thus far. While the Cavaliers raced out to an early double-digit lead, the Pacers have stormed back to make this one a game. As Indiana holds a 3-1 series lead, a Game 5 win would send them to the Eastern Conference finals. If Cleveland holds on, we return to Indiana for Game 6.

Cleveland, the best shooting team in the NBA in the regular season, has dug deep and found other ways to score despite a 1-of-11 3-point shooting performance. They've scored 34 points in the paint and gotten 30 points combined out their two best players, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. This is what the playoffs are about. What can you create when everything you've done all year isn't working? The Cavaliers have answered that question tonight behind their stars.

Speaking of stars, it's been the Tyrese Haliburton show in the second quarter. He's up to 17 points on five 3-pointers. He's mostly been quiet over the last two games, but Haliburton does that frequently. He can impact a game with 30 points and he can impact them with five. Tonight he's all over the stat sheet, and if he keeps shooting like this, the Pacers might just win the series here and now.

[May 13, 2025 at 8:11 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Heat check!

So much for Cleveland's big early lead. Tyrese Haliburton has now drilled three consecutive deep 3-pointers, and is up to 14 points overall. It's only a five-point game late in the second quarter as the Cavaliers continue to struggle defending Indiana's five-out offense. Haliburton has found the matchups he's wanted and delivered.

[May 13, 2025 at 7:43 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Cleveland's got some fight left after all

The Cavaliers looked dead in Game 4 when they lost the first half by 41 points. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley had been nursing injuries all series. Donovan Mitchell left Game 4 with an ankle injury. It looked like Indiana was headed to the Eastern Conference finals. But the Cavaliers haven't gone down without a fight. They owned the first quarter, 31-19, behind another stellar Mitchell performance and major bounce back performances from Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. If Indiana is ending this thing tonight, it's going to have to step up quickly.

[May 13, 2025 at 6:47 pm ET · Sam Cooper]

Donovan Mitchell (ankle) active for Game 5

Facing elimination, the Cavaliers will have star guard Donovan Mitchell in the starting lineup for Game 5 vs. the Pacers.

Donovan Mitchell injury update: Cavaliers star returning to lineup for Game 5 vs. Pacers despite ankle issue

Sam Quinn

[May 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

FINAL: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109

The Indiana Pacers are one game away from a return trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. After losing Game 3 on their home floor, the Pacers stormed back to win Game 4 in dominating fashion, 129-109, to take a 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. That puts the 64-win Cavaliers on the brink of elimination, and things do not look especially promising for them here.

They have obviously dealt with injuries throughout the series. Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De'Andre Hunter all missed Game 2 due to health. All three returned for Game 3, but terrifyingly, Donovan Mitchell did not play in the second half after suffering a left ankle injury. It is unclear at this time how injured he is, but he was averaging over 41 points per game in the series through three games. If he is out, the Cavaliers are done.

It was a balanced attack for Indiana. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 21 points, but Obi Toppin and Myles Turner weren't far behind at 20 apiece. Five Pacers in total reached double figures, and that doesn't even include star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had another quiet night. Indiana has been thriving as a team, and now, they are just one victory away from a rematch with one of their opponents from last year's playoffs, the Knicks or Celtics, in the Eastern Conference finals.

[May 11, 2025 at 10:34 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Donovan Mitchell injury update

Donovan Mitchell injury update: Cavaliers star returning to lineup for Game 5 vs. Pacers despite ankle issue

Sam Quinn

[May 11, 2025 at 9:41 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Donovan Mitchell out to start the second half

The Cavaliers came out for the second half without Donovan Mitchell, who remains out with a few minutes of third-quarter play now gone. It's not clear what exactly happened to Mitchell. He did not noticeably get injured in the first half, but with Cleveland trailing by more than 40, there's also not much to be gained by putting him back on the floor. He did not look good when he came to warm up for the second half.

[May 11, 2025 at 9:20 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Halftime: Pacers 80, Cavaliers 39

Overall, this second round has given us some of the closest, most exciting playoff basketball we've seen in years. Game 4 between the Pacers and Cavaliers does not fall under that umbrella. This is a blowout (the 41-point Pacer lead is tied for the largest in an NBA playoff game in history), and it has been pretty much since tip off. The Pacers won the first quarter by 15 points despite the ejection of Bennedict Mathurin. They proceeded to win the second by 26. It is now 80-39 in favor of Indiana. That 41-point gap is tied for the biggest halftime lead in playoff history.

The Pacers onslaught is coming from everywhere. Myles Turner leads the way for Indiana, but everybody besides Mathurin who has stepped on the floor for the Pacers has scored, and four separate Pacers are in double-figures. This isn't just a single star orchestrating great offense. This is a team-wide beatdown. Indiana has made two-thirds of its 3-pointers.

Cleveland, meanwhile, can get nothing going. Donovan Mitchell entered Game 4 entering over 41 points per game in this series. He's up to 12 so far in Game 1, but on pretty inefficient 3-of-11 shooting. The star front court of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been held to a pathetic five points combined, and Darius Garland, working through a toe injury, has struggled not only offensively, but can't stop fouling on defense. Cleveland has committed a stunning 13 turnovers through two quarters. Never say never with the postseason we've seen this year, but it certainly looks like we're heading back to Cleveland with the Pacers leading this series 3-1.

[May 11, 2025 at 8:49 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

The Pacers can't miss

Despite the theatrics and Bennedict Mathurin's ejection, Indiana just played a nearly flawless quarter of offensive basketball. The Pacers lead 38-23 after one behind 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Cleveland, meanwhile, is struggling to generate clean looks in the half court against this surprisingly effective Pacers defense. They look rushed, and their shots aren't falling as they have all season.

[May 11, 2025 at 8:35 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Bennedict Mathruin ejected

Game 3 was full of extracurricular activity, and Game 4 has been no different. Bennedict Mathurin just got assessed a flagrant-2 foul for closed-fist punching De'Andre Hunter in the chest. Hunter, meanwhile, got a technical foul for shoving him in response. Myles Turner also picked up a technical foul for retaliating, so in the end, only Mathurin is tossed. The building is in an uproar here, and head coach Rick Carlisle is just as angry.

[May 11, 2025 at 8:05 pm ET · Sam Cooper]

Best bet for Game 4

Where to watch Pacers vs. Cavaliers: TV channel, live stream NBA playoffs, Game 4 prediction, time, odds

Sam Quinn

[May 9, 2025 at 10:26 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Game 3 final: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the board in their second-round series with the Indiana Pacers. After dropping the first two games at home, the Cavs responded with a comprehensive 22-point road win to draw within 2-1 in the best-of-seven set. 

Notably, the Cavaliers were back at full strength, as Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) all returned to action after missing Game 2. While Garland struggled with foul trouble throughout the night, Mobley put in a huge two-way effort with 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, while Hunter provided valuable minutes off the bench. 

It took only a few minutes for the Cavaliers to build a double-digit lead, but the Pacers used a furious run to draw even at the end of the first quarter. That turned out to be the high point of the night for the Pacers, though, as the Cavaliers quickly regained control of the game in the second quarter and maintained it throughout. 

Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavs with 43 points, nine rebounds and five assists for his second consecutive 40-point game. With this performance, Mitchell joined LeBron James as the only players in Cavaliers history with 40 points in back-to-back playoff games. 

A pivotal Game 4 is set for Sunday evening. 

[May 9, 2025 at 8:56 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Halftime: Cavaliers 66, Pacers 45

Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) returned to action in Game 3, and the Cavaliers have looked like their usual selves now that they're back at full strength. 

The Cavaliers held the Pacers without a field goal for over five minutes to start the game, and quickly built a double-digit lead. While the Pacers went on a furious run late in the first quarter to tie the game, they were unable to carry that momentum into the second quarter. Thanks in part to a zone defense that flummoxed the Pacers, the Cavs won the second quarter 34-13 to take a 21-point lead into the break. 

Donovan Mitchell has 17 points to lead all scorers, but this has been a true team effort from the Cavs, who have four double-digit scorers. Cleveland has grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, which it has turned into 21 second-chance points. 

[May 9, 2025 at 8:11 pm ET · Colin Ward-Henninger]

Garland, Mobley, Hunter all active for Game 3

Cavaliers injury updates: Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, De'Andre Hunter to return for Game 3, per report

James Herbert

[May 9, 2025 at 10:35 am ET · Aaron Gray]

Best bets for Friday's Game 3

Where to watch Cavaliers vs. Pacers: TV channel, live stream, Game 3 prediction, odds, pick

Sam Quinn

[May 6, 2025 at 9:48 pm ET · James Herbert]

🚨Game 2 final: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119

Indiana has pulled off an absolutely stunning comeback and taken a 2-0 lead in the series. 

In a sequence of events eerily similar to their come-from-behind win in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks one week ago, the Pacers went on an 8-0 run in the final minute to steal the victory. It ended with Tyrese Haliburton making a stepback 3 after rebounding his own missed free throw:

The Cavs had a 119-114 lead after Donovan Mitchell committed an offensive foul in the backcourt with 45 seconds left. After that, Pascal Siakam attacked Dean Wade's closeout and made a layup to cut the Pacers' deficit to three points:

After that, the Cavs turned the ball over and Tyrese Haliburton got to the free-throw line.

And after that, Haliburton split the free throws, rebounded the second and then made a shot that is immediately legendary.

Absolutely unbelievable.

Haliburton finished with 19 points (7-11 FG, 2-2 3PT, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, one block and no turnovers in 36 minutes. He appeared to hurt his wrist in the first half, but remained in the game and got an X-ray at halftime.

Cleveland was without Darius Garland (who missed his fourth consecutive game due to a sprained toe) and without Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter (who were both hurt in the opener), but, for most of the night, it seemed like it was going to overcome these absences. Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 48 points (15-30 FG, 1-7 3PT, 17-21 FT) to go with five rebounds, nine assists, four steals and one block, but the Cavs wasted all of it. Mitchell's crunch-time turnover was his fifth of the game.

Cleveland was up 32-17 at the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 20 points, but couldn't hold on. The Pacers outscored the Cavs 36-21 in the final frame. Cleveland shot just 11 for 39 (28.2%) from 3-point range.

Just like Game 1, Indiana had a balanced scoring effort. Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner finished with a team-high 23 points apiece, and Bennedict Mathurin added 19 off the bench. Nesmith shot 5 for 8 from deep and has made nine of his 14 3-point attempts in the series.

Game 3 is Friday in Indianapolis.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:43 pm ET · James Herbert]

Offensive foul on Mitchell

Uh-oh, Cavs: After that collision between Aaron Nesmith and Donovan Mitchell, there was another collision between Nesmith and Mitchell. This time, Mitchell's elbow collided with Nesmith's head.

Officials declared it a common foul, not a flagrant foul. Costly turnover for the Cavs, but not as catastrophic as a flagrant foul would have been.

Indiana ball, 45.9 on the clock, Cavs up 119-114.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:40 pm ET · James Herbert]

Nesmith putback, Mitchell goes down hard

Donovan Mitchell now has 48 points after a pair of free throws, but the Pacers are still hanging around. Pascal Siakam drew a foul at the rim and missed both free throws, but Aaron Nesmith came out of nowhere for a putback dunk off the second miss.

As Nesmith dunked it, he made contact with Mitchell, who fell hard and stayed down for a little while. He eventually got up, though, and seems to be OK.

The refs initially waved off the dunk due to offensive interference, but reviewed it and called it good.

The Cavs are up 119-114 and have the ball with 47.9 seconds left. 

[May 6, 2025 at 9:34 pm ET · James Herbert]

Dagger?

If the Cavs hold on, this Max Strus 3 might be seen as the dagger:

It's understandable that Indiana wanted to get the ball out of Donovan Mitchell's hands at all costs. Mitchell made a nice find, and Strus knocked down a huge shot.

It's not over yet, though. After a timeout, Tyrese Haliburton got downhill against Isaac Okoro and made a layup off the glass. Cleveland is up 117-112 with 1:03 to go.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:28 pm ET · James Herbert]

So much Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell has had a monster Game 2. After a couple more downhill drives and a free throw, he has 45 points (15-28 FG, 1-7 3PT, 14-17 FT) to go with his four rebounds, seven assists, four steals and one block. This is his sixth career 40-point playoff game.

With 2:31 left in the fourth quarter, Cleveland is up 113-106.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:21 pm ET · James Herbert]

Cavs looking unsteady

Cleveland still has a six-point lead with 5:27 left in regulation, but it has been outscored 14-6 in the fourth quarter and the Pacers are flying around defensively. 

The Cavs' offense is, in a word, shaky. At least when Donovan Mitchell isn't getting go the free throw line, that is.

Credit the Pacers for hanging around and getting back into it. They had a horrendous first quarter, but that feels like a long time ago.

Bennedict Mathurin is up to 19 points off the bench. Myles Turner has a team-high 21 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 5-6 FT) for Indiana. 

[May 6, 2025 at 9:12 pm ET · James Herbert]

Pacers cut into the lead

Tyrese Haliburton, who had an X-ray at halftime after appearing to injure his left wrist, cut the Pacers' deficit to eight points with this and-1:

After a Bennedict Mathurin putback dunk, the Pacers have started the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run and are down by just six points.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:08 pm ET · James Herbert]

Here come the Pacers!

With Donovan Mitchell back on the bench to start the fourth quarter, the Cavs' lead is down to single digits. They have a lineup of Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, Javonte Green and Dean Wade on the floor, and they've had a few rough offensive possessions to start the final frame. After Bennedict Mathurin leaked out and scored an easy layup in transition, Cleveland called timeout with 9:38 on the clock, up 98-89.

This is a good time to mention that Jerome has scored just two points (1-14 FG, 0-4 FT, 0-0 FT) in 26 minutes. He's missing his patented floater, and he's had particular trouble when Aaron Nesmith has been defending him. It's kind of wild that the Cavs have controlled this whole game despite Jerome's struggles.

[May 6, 2025 at 8:58 pm ET · James Herbert]

End of third quarter: Cavaliers 98, Pacers 84

Pacers reserve Bennedict Mathurin did what he could to make things interesting after halftime. He scored 10 points in the third quarter and has gotten to the rim on numerous occasions. Mathurin is definitely in attack mode. 

The problem for Indiana, though, is that he's not the only one getting to the rim. In the third quarter, the Pacers couldn't keep Donovan Mitchell out of the paint (or off of the free throw line).

Also, the Cavs got another big dunk, this time courtesy of Jarrett Allen:

Some positivity for the Pacers heading into the fourth: It looked like they were going to be down 17 at the end of the third, but then Tyrese Haliburton found Aaron Nesmith for a corner 3 just before the buzzer. 

Indiana's shooting 51% from the field, and its offense has been fine when it has actually gotten a shot up. It has turned the ball over on 20% of its possessions, though, and it hasn't been able to slow down the Cavs at all.

[May 6, 2025 at 8:44 pm ET · James Herbert]

Strus gets loose

Here is Max Strus soaring for a dunk and extending the Cavs' lead to 20:

The crazy thing is this possession was after a make. That's a disaster for the Pacers.

You might think Indiana would just stop playing after that. Nope. Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin made 3s, and the Pacers are now down 81-67 with 5:07 left in the third quarter.

[May 6, 2025 at 8:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is up to 29 points (11-21 FG, 1-5 3PT, 6-7 FT) with 7:32 left in the third quarter. The Cavs are up 77-60.

Here's an and-1 against Aaron Nesmith, followed by a shimmy on the floor:

And here's a wiiide open corner 3 against the Pacers' zone:

Indiana's offense has been good enough in the third quarter, but it just has not been able to string any stops together. If that doesn't change, Cleveland is going to even this series up tonight.

[May 6, 2025 at 8:16 pm ET · James Herbert]

Halftime: Cavaliers 61, Pacers 50

AHHHH LOOK AT THIS DONOVAN MITCHELL DUNK RIGHT NOW:

That was enormous. I really did scream when it happened. My word.

Anyway, that play sort of a microcosm of Game 2. After dropping the first game of the series at home, the Cavs have really taken it to the Pacers. They have an 11-point lead going into the third quarter.

Mitchell has 21 points (8-18 FG, 0-4 3PT, 5-6 FT), five assists, two steals and one turnover in 18 minutes. It's kind of weird that he's now 1 for 15 from 3-point range in the series, but he's been amazing tonight. So has Cleveland as a team. 

Cleveland is without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De'Andre Hunter, but that hasn't been a problem. This is a deep roster, and the Cavs' defense has been excellent regardless of who has been on the floor.

Craig Porter Jr. made his presence felt, for example:

Also: Shoutout to Dean Wade for making a zillion hustle plays (three offensive boards in 11 minutes!) and Max Strus for putting together a 14-point, three-assist half. 

Indiana has made a couple of little runs, but the Cavs keep responding to them. The Pacers' poor 3-point shooting (5 for 15) isn't necessarily a cause for concern, but their 13 turnovers definitely is. They need to do a better job of handling Cleveland's ball pressure if they are going to make a real comeback.