The Cleveland Cavaliers finally looked like the Eastern Conference’s top team on Friday.
After getting stunned in the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers took care of business with a 126-104 win in Game 3 in front of a hostile Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd. The Pacers still lead the series 2-1.
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Donovan Mitchell posted his second straight 40-point game to get Cleveland there, finishing with 43 points on 14-of-29 shooting, plus nine rebounds and five assists.
A pivotal Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in Indiana (TNT/Max).
Cavaliers get healthy, and off to a strong start
As it turns out, a team getting back the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, its starting point guard and its top bench scorer is something of a boost.
The Cavaliers were without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter for Game 2 due to injuries, leaving them without three of their top four scorers. The team responded by leaning on Mitchell more than ever, which resulted in him posting a 48-point night — and looking absolutely gassed in the disastrous final minutes.
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All three were ready to go for Game 3 and helped Cleveland open the game on a tone-setting 11-0 run. The Pacers bounced back to tie the game at the end of the first quarter, but another run put the Cavaliers up double digits.
With Mobley back, the Cavaliers were able to play something closer to their game. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers were up 58-34 in the rebounding column and 48-32 in points in the paint, thanks to their twin-tower set-up of Mobley (18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks) alongside Jarrett Allen (19 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists).
Quiet game for Tyrese Haliburton
It would have been hard for Tyrese Haliburton to match his heroics from Game 2, but the Pacers point guard was completely shut down on Friday.
Haliburton finished with four points on 2-of-8 shooting, 5 assists, 3 turnovers and 0 rebounds. He has raised his profile as much as anyone this postseason, but he was invisible in a game that could have effectively finished off this series.
