- Tyrese Haliburton recorded a double-double with 22 points and 13 assists
- Andrew Nembhard led Indiana in scoring with 23 points
- Pacers dominated the final quarter to claim surprise road win
Key Takeaways:
Indiana Pacers earned a 121:112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers (36:25, 28:33, 28:32, 29:22) in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series in the NBA. The win came as a surprise to many, with Cleveland widely considered the favourite in the matchup.
The opening quarter was evenly contested until the final minutes, when Indiana closed with a 10-0 run to build a 36:25 lead. The Pacers kept up the tempo and pushed their advantage to as much as 12 points at 45:33. Cleveland, however, trimmed the deficit to just six at halftime, trailing 58:64.
took Game 1 in Cleveland 😤#PacersWin pic.twitter.com/bzYQfOYdza
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 5, 2025
Indiana regained a 9-point cushion at 84:75 in the third, but a 13-0 run by the Cavaliers gave the hosts their first lead since the opening quarter, 88:84. The Pacers responded to edge ahead again at the end of the third, 92:90, and then dominated the final 12 minutes to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Tyrese Haliburton was pivotal with 22 points and 13 assists, while Andrew Nembhard topped the scoring with 23 points. Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith each had 17 points and 8 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 33 points, while Ty Jerome added 21 off the bench. Evan Mobley recorded a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.