Donovan Mitchell went off for 43 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a big 126-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of their playoff series Friday night in Indianapolis.
Mitchell was on fire—he shot 14-of-29 from the field, nailed five threes, and hit 10 of 14 free throws. He also grabbed nine boards and handed out five assists. After struggling from deep in the first two games, he found his rhythm and helped Cleveland cut the series deficit to 2-1. Game 4 is set for Sunday, again in Indy.
The Cavs really took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers 34-13 to break things open. Max Strus chipped in 20 points and seven rebounds, Jarrett Allen had a solid 19-point, 12-rebound double-double, and Evan Mobley made a strong return from injury with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Darius Garland only scored 10 points after getting into foul trouble, but it was his first game back since late April due to a toe injury.
Cleveland’s coach Kenny Atkinson said the team knew this was a must-win. Down 0-2 in the series and banged up, they came out with serious urgency and toughness.
The Cavs dominated the glass, outrebounding Indiana 56-37, and grabbed 18 offensive boards.
For the Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin provided a spark off the bench with 23 points, and Pascal Siakam added 18. But Indiana’s star, Tyrese Haliburton, struggled badly, scoring just four points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Strus gave props to the Cavs’ defense, especially with Allen and Mobley protecting the rim. “It’s easy when you’ve got two 7-footers behind you,” he said.
Cleveland used a big 30-9 run late in the second quarter to build a solid lead, sparked by threes from Strus, Mitchell, and Sam Merrill. Indiana tried to claw back—Nembhard and Siakam hit some key shots—but the Cavs always had an answer and finished strong with a 19-5 run in the fourth to close it out.
Indiana had a rough start, falling behind 11-0 early and trailing by as much as 15, though they managed to tie it 32-32 by the end of the first. But Coach Rick Carlisle admitted his squad just didn’t bring it, saying they weren’t ready and he needs to do a better job getting Haliburton in position to succeed.
