Cavs get payback with 127-117 win over Pacers
Cavs took care of business in the revenge game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a frustrating L to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. They got their revenge tonight in a 127-117 effort on the national TV stage.
It wasn’t necessarily pretty. The Cavs struggled to find separation for most of the game as the Pacers fought them every step of the way. It wasn’t until the final stages of the fourth quarter that Cleveland began to feel comfortable — and even then, some of the offensive process was a slog.
Nonetheless, a solid stretch of defense (led by the two-three zone) helped them build a cozy lead. The zone bothered Indiana and forced them into difficult two-point jumpers while the Cavaliers enjoyed a burst of offense from Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
Mitchell was electric in the first half. He scored 19 points in the opening quarter and finished with 35 points for the first time since November. His ability to shred the defense and draw a crowd allowed him to bend Indiana and generate clean looks for his teammates.
Garland took a hard spill during the second quarter and was hobbling for his first stint in the third. But after an extended rest on the bench, DG returned to help seal the deal. He recorded 24 points and 9 assists, getting to the rim and converting floaters throughout the second half.
The Cavalier bench was much more effective in this game. Max Strus contributed 13 points while the Cleveland second unit finished with 30 points overall. This was much better than the 18 points they scrounged up before garbage time on Sunday.
Finally, Mobley put together one of the more exciting quarters of the season. He nailed three three-pointers in the third quarter, stuffed Myles Turner in the post — and then spun around Jarace Walker for an impressive layup. This type of game (22 points and 13 rebounds) from Mobley would have been the story of the night last season. Now? It’s a quick shout-out at the end of a recap. That’s a testament to how consistently great Mobely has become.