Indiana Pacers thrashed Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 to take a 3-1 stranglehold on its NBA playoff collection on Sunday, as Oklahoma Metropolis edged Denver to degree their collection at two video games apiece.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 factors to steer seven Pacers gamers in double figures as Indiana pushed Jap Convention high seeds Cleveland to the brink of elimination of their best-of-seven convention semifinal.
There have been no such offensive fireworks in Denver, the place Oklahoma Metropolis squelched the Nuggets’ second-half comeback bid to assert a gritty 92-87 victory in a sport the place each groups struggled to get photographs to fall.
In Cleveland, the Pacers already had the sport properly in hand, with an 80-39 halftime lead, when the Cavs introduced that star Donovan Mitchell was uncertain to return for the second half with a left ankle damage.
Mitchell, coming off back-to-back 40-point video games, scored 12 factors within the first half, however was clearly hurting when he examined his ankle previous to the beginning of the second half.
His loss can be a physique blow for a Cleveland staff hoping to fend off elimination once they host sport 5 on Tuesday.
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Coach Kenny Atkinson stated Mitchell would have an MRI scan on Monday and he had “no concept” if Mitchell can be obtainable for sport 5.
Regardless of the Pacers’ dominance, there was no scarcity of emotion. Indiana reserve Bennedict Mathurin was ejected with 4:32 left within the first quarter for a punch to De’Andre Hunter’s chest.
Hunter acquired a technical foul for responding with a two-handed shove that despatched Mathurin sprawling, whereas Indiana’s Myles Turner received a technical for wading into the fray.
Up 38-23 after one quarter, the Pacers piled it on within the second interval, a 17-0 scoring run pushing their result in 78-37 on the best way to an 80-39 halftime lead.
Cleveland made simply eight baskets within the first half whereas the Pacers placed on an offensive show. A Turner basket on the rim, off a no-look cross from Tyrese Haliburton, despatched the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd right into a frenzy.
The Pacers have been additionally on-target from deep, making 12 of their 15 three-pointers within the first half. “It is a group that performs higher by way of adversity,” Turner stated of the Pacers’ rebound from their game-three defeat.
“We received punched within the mouth final sport, we had a hell of a response. The starters set the tone and the bench picked it up the remainder of the sport.”
Turner and Obi Toppin added 20 factors every for Indiana, and Haliburton completed with 11. Darius Garland led Cleveland’s scoring with 21 factors, however the Cavaliers gave up 22 turnovers resulting in 35 Pacers factors.
Drained legs
In Denver, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 factors with six rebounds and 6 assists to steer Oklahoma Metropolis, however the Thunder linked on simply 31 of 87 photographs from the sector — solely marginally higher than the Nuggets’ 25-for-80 success charge.
NBA Most Worthwhile Participant Nikola Jokic scored 27 factors and grabbed 13 rebounds for Denver, who shook off a dismal begin and grabbed a 53-52 lead halfway by way of the third quarter on a three-pointer from Aaron Gordon.
Jamal Murray and Christian Braun scored 17 factors every and Gordon added 15 as Denver prolonged the result in eight factors early within the fourth.
However lower than 48 hours after a draining additional time triumph Friday in sport three, the Nuggets didn’t capitalize. Oklahoma Metropolis regained the lead on Cason Wallace’s three-pointer with 8:35 to play and held on till the top.
“We received stops, held them to 18 factors within the fourth quarter,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “They clearly got here out scorching after halftime, jumped on us, however defensive finish is all the time it for us… We received it again on monitor and we have been in a position to get a W.”
Having prevented falling right into a 3-1 gap, the Thunder host sport 5 on Tuesday.
“I assumed drained legs on the market from each groups,” Nuggets coach David Adelman stated. “Give their staff credit score, in a extremely disgusting basketball sport, these guys made performs, made sufficient performs to push them over the sting and win the sport.”