CLEVELAND (AP) – Indiana coach Rick Carlisle perfectly encapsulated his team’s decisive play in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
“The winning team is crafting the narrative,” he remarked.
The Pacers secured a 114-105 win over the Cavaliers in Game 5 on Tuesday night, mirroring the early games of the series. Cleveland took a significant lead in the first half, but Indiana’s fast-paced style ultimately shone through.
“I have to commend our opponents; they’ve truly earned this,” Carlisle stated. “This was one of the elite teams in the league. It’s unfortunate their season has to conclude like this. They had an exemplary season, and we arrived at precisely the right moment.”
Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, while Pascal Siakam contributed 21 points, marking the Pacers’ return to the conference finals for the first time since 2013-14.
Donovan Mitchell, who was sidelined during the second half of Sunday’s game due to a left ankle sprain, led Cleveland with 35 points, and Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The top-seeded Cavs overcame their first-round series against Miami but struggled against the fast-paced Pacers.
“We weren’t favored in a single game. The tightest spread was 5½, which added fuel to our opponents,” Carlisle noted.
The fourth-seeded Pacers are now awaiting the outcome of the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks matchup, with New York currently leading 3-1 heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night in Boston.
Indiana rallied from a 19-point deficit in the first half, taking control after the break and winning all three games at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
This marks the first time the Pacers have won three road games in a playoff series since their first-round matchup against Boston in 2005.
The Cavs experienced home losses in three games for the first time in a postseason series.
“I love playing in this arena, but we’re now 0-3 at home. We let the city down,” Mitchell expressed. “This place is special. What’s painful is that we couldn’t secure a win here.”
Cleveland held a 44-25 lead midway through the second quarter, but Haliburton sank five of the six three-pointers during the period, bringing the Pacers within 56-52 by halftime.
“After a rocky start in the first quarter, we didn’t lose our composure. We knew they would throw a haymaker, but we believed we could weather that storm effectively,” Haliburton commented.
Indiana then shot 14 of 22 from the field in the third quarter, spurred by a 17-2 run, leading 85-76 at the end of the third.
The Cavs struggled, shooting just 38.9% overall, including a bleak 9 of 35 from three-point range. Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 12 out of 41 shooting, with four out of 19 from beyond the arc.
Mitchell’s three-pointer pulled the Cavs within 106-103 with 1:27 remaining, but Indiana finished strong, scoring eight of the last 10 points.
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Source: apnews.com