- Tyrese Haliburton’s late heroics stunned Cleveland, securing a 120-119 win for Indiana
- Donovan Mitchell’s 48 points were not enough for the Cavaliers, who now trail 0-2 in the series
- Indiana erased a 20-point deficit to claim their second straight comeback victory in the playoffs
Key Takeaways
Donovan Mitchell’s 48 points were not enough, and Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland are in serious trouble after a 120-119 loss to Indiana in another dramatic clash, falling behind 0-2 in the series. The Cavaliers now face two away games in Indianapolis, making their situation even more difficult.
in the last 20 years, teams that trailed by 7+ in the final 48 seconds of the 4th quarter or OT are 3-1,679.
two of those are us in the last 8 days.
no panic. pic.twitter.com/KoUT38R9za
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 7, 2025
Tyrese Haliburton emerged as the hero for the Pacers, hitting a step-back three-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining to secure a victory that seemed impossible for a long time. But in this league, anything can happen.
The Pacers fell behind by double digits late in the first quarter, with their deficit reaching 20 points midway through the third. The hosts appeared to have sealed the win with a three-pointer from Max Strus for 117-110 with 66 seconds left, and just seconds later, two free throws by Mitchell made it 119-112.
Then things went wrong for Cleveland. An offensive foul by Mitchell and a misplaced pass by Strus gave the visitors a chance. With the score at 119-116 and 12 seconds remaining, Haliburton was fouled. After making the first free throw, he intentionally missed the second, and the Pacers grabbed the rebound. Haliburton then drained the game-winning shot from the top, stunning the home crowd.
“I know in these moments, my teammates trust me, and at the same time, I have all the confidence in the world to make those big shots,” said the hero, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the final quarter. Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner each added 23, while Bennedict Mathurin contributed 19 off the bench. Cleveland felt the absence of three key players due to injuries — Mobley, Garland, and Hunter.
This was the second such comeback for the Pacers, who similarly closed out the series against Milwaukee last week, again with Haliburton providing the late-game heroics.