The Cleveland Cavaliers love to have 20-plus point deficits against the Indiana Pacers. Last Sunday night, Indiana led Cleveland by as many as 20 points, and the Cavs stormed back to defeat them 98-85 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
On Friday night in Indiana, the Cavs trailed by as many as 21 points to the Pacers in the second quarter, and like they did last Sunday, Cleveland battled back and defeated the Pacers 120-113 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
This was the Cavs largest comeback victory of the season.
Cleveland had seven players in double figures Friday night.
The Cavs(35-21) have now won four straight and 13 of 16, while the Pacers(19-38) have lost five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
The Great for the Cavs:
Caris LeVert, in his first game back in Indiana since the trade, got the start at point guard for the injured Darius Garland(back), and he made play after play down the stretch. He scored eight(4-4 FG) of his team-high tying 22 points in the fourth. LeVert scored those eight fourth-quarter points in crunch time. Cleveland trailed 109-105, and LeVert cut it to two with just under five minutes to go, and after a Rajon Rondo three gave the Cavs a 110-109 lead, LeVert scored six straight points for the Cavs. That’s how you close a game. LeVert also added five assists, three steals, and a block.
Make it four straight double-doubles for Jarret Allen. He had 22 points and 14 rebounds. In the last four games, he’s averaging 20.2 points and 16.7 rebounds. Unfortunately, we can’t call Allen an All-star, but we can say he’s playing like one.
Rajon Rondo was a calming presence Friday night. He made all the right plays. The four-time All-Star had a season-high 17 points(6/7 FG), 10 which came in the fourth, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. LeVert was good, but they don’t win this game without Rondo, who gave the Cavs their first lead of the game when he hit a three to put Cleveland up 110-109 with just over four minutes left in the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: After falling behind by 16 points late in the third, Cleveland went on a 10-2 run to get the deficit under ten as they trailed 96-88, heading into the fourth. In the fourth, the Cavs picked it up. Rondo and LeVert combined for 18 of the team’s 32 points in the final period. Anytime you make a large comeback, you need your defense and Cleveland defended. They held Indiana to 32% shooting from the floor, including 2/11 from three-point range, and created eight turnovers leading to 13 points. Cleveland outscored Indiana 32-17 in the quarter.
Second-Half Defense: Cleveland allowed a season-high 74 first-half points Friday night, but things got better in the second half. The Cavs held the Pacers to 39 points in the half. Indiana was on fire in the first half as they shot 61% from the floor, including 63%(12/19) from downtown. However, Cleveland held Indiana to 33% shooting from the field in the second half. In addition, they created 12 of Indiana’s 23 turnovers in the second half, which led to 19 points. In total, Cleveland scored 28 points off turnovers.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
First Quarter: The Pacers could not miss in the first quarter. They shot 71% from the field, including `10/12(83%) from three-point range. Cleveland allowed a season-high 47 points in the first. After one, Indiana led 47-28 and took a 74-63 lead at halftime.
In the last four games, all wins, Cleveland has been outscored by a combined 44 points in the first quarter, so that’s something they have to fix going forward.
Bottom Line:
LeVert showed he could be a closer Friday night. He was able to get anywhere he wanted on the court and showed that he is a “bucket.” Also, give credit to Rondo, who also rescued this team in the second half.
Cleveland did not play its best game without their best player(Garland), but they found ways to get it done. Learning how to get the victory when you’re not at your best is what the better teams in the NBA do, and Cleveland is just that, one of the better in the league.
The Cavs(second seed) are now one game behind the Heat for the top spot in the East as they have a big one against Philadelphia Saturday night.
“Caris(LeVert) is a complete player,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “He’s not just an offensive player. He knew what we needed to get it done.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their three-game road trip before the All-Star break in Philly Saturday night against the 76ers, in the first of four games against Philadelphia this season.
Best of the Rest:
Kevin Love and Cedi Osman added 14 points apiece off the bench for Cleveland. Love also recorded his 7,000th point as a member of the Cavs Friday night; he became the ninth player to accomplish the feat in team history. Dean Wade chipped in with 13 points, and Isaac Okoro had 10.
Indiana had six players in double figures led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 23 points; Chris Duarte and Oshae Brissett had 18 points apiece.
The Pacers were 18/38(47%) from three-point range.
Watch below as LeVert reacts to the win over the Pacers:
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