The Cleveland Cavaliers season is officially over after they fell to the Pacers 114-105 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series at Rocket Arena on Tuesday night.
Indiana, who will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, wins the series 4-1, and they will face the winner of the Celtics/Knicks series.
The Cavs got the start they wanted and led by 12 after one quarter. They had their largest lead of the game at 19 points in the second quarter, but the Pacers were able to close the half strong, and the Cavs led 56-52 at the break.
The Pacers took control in the third quarter, executing a 18-4 run that propelled them to their largest lead of the game, 80-68. This strong performance set the stage for their eventual victory, with Indiana leading 85-76 going into the fourth quarter.
After a Donovan Mitchell three, Cleveland cut the lead to one with just over five minutes left in the fourth, but the Pacers would go on an 8-0 run to take control. Cleveland cut it to three with 1:27 to go, but again, Indiana would not let the Cavs get over the hump.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Pascal Siakam had 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. All five Pacers starters scored in double figures.
Mitchell had a game-high 35 points; Evan Mobley had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Darius Garland battled a toe injury and had 11 points(4/16 FG); Max Strus finished with zero points(0/9 FG).
Bottom Line:
The 2024-25 Cavs were a disappointment. They had the best record in the East(64-18), the Coach of the Year, and the Defensive Player of the Year(Mobley). They started the season 15-0 and also had a franchise-best 16-game win streak during the season. This team steamrolled through the regular season.
However, none of that matters today. Cleveland lost to the Celtics in five last season in the second round, and they lost again in five in the second round this season. Injuries played a role for sure. Mitchell and Garland were not healthy, and like he did in Game 2, Mitchell, who battled, ran out of gas.
Mitchell will not make it out of the second round again, so he will be criticized for that. Garland wasn’t durable enough to play impactful basketball in the postseason.
It’s just an overall disappointment, and we’ll see what the Cavs will do in the offseason to fix it.
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