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📍Final Score: Indiana Pacers 114, Cleveland Cavaliers 105
📊Series Result: Pacers win series 4-1
🏆Next Up: Pacers advance to Eastern Conference Finals vs. Knicks or Celtics

The Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season after a statement 114-105 victory over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5. Powered by All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton’s electric performance, the Pacers closed out the series 4-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Tuesday night.

🔥 Haliburton’s Big Night Pushes Pacers Past Top-Seeded Cavaliers

Tyrese Haliburton once again proved why he’s one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. The Pacers’ floor general dropped 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including six 3-pointers, and dished out eight assists to lead Indiana’s comeback and clinch the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Haliburton scored 17 of his points in the first half and exploded in the second quarter alone with five deep 3s — including a bomb from near the half-court logo — as Indiana flipped a 19-point deficit into a competitive battle by halftime.

🔁 Pacers Overcome Early 19-Point Deficit

Cleveland stormed out to a 19-point first-half lead behind a 13-point burst from Donovan Mitchell. But Indiana responded with a 27-9 run, cutting the lead to four before the break. The Pacers carried that momentum into the second half, led by a third-quarter takeover.

Head coach Rick Carlisle called a critical timeout early in the third after the Cavs scored back-to-back buckets. The reset worked: a Pascal Siakam three ignited an 11-0 Pacers run that put them in the lead for good. Cleveland’s offense sputtered, shooting just 7-of-24 in the quarter, while Indiana surged to a nine-point advantage behind a dominant 31-13 stretch.

💥 Fourth-Quarter Poise Seals the Win

Although the Cavaliers made a final push in the fourth, cutting the lead to just one, the Pacers had an answer every time. Haliburton responded with a timely dunk, and Andrew Nembhard iced the game with a clutch and-one bucket through contact with just over a minute to go.

Nembhard finished with 18 points, Siakam added 21 points and 8 rebounds, and the Pacers’ composure under pressure allowed them to cruise to a nine-point win in the final moments.

😤 Cavaliers’ Collapse and Missed Opportunity

The Cavaliers, who were 64-18 in the regular season and started the year with 15 straight wins, saw their championship hopes vanish on home court. Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points and 9 rebounds, but shot just 3-of-11 from deep. Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 boards, while the team as a whole struggled from beyond the arc (9-of-35) and from the free-throw line — missing four straight in crunch time.

Mitchell, who has been battling an ankle injury, appeared hobbled once again late in the third quarter but returned to hit a few critical shots, including back-to-back threes. It wasn’t enough to close the gap.

🏀 What’s Next for the Pacers?

The Pacers now await the winner of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics series in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks currently lead 3-1, with Boston reeling after losing Jayson Tatum to a season-ending Achilles injury.

If the Knicks advance, it would be their first conference finals appearance since 1999. For Indiana, this marks a huge opportunity: they’re just four wins away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.

With Haliburton leading the way and Indiana playing its best basketball of the season, the Pacers are emerging as legitimate contenders in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.