Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, leading the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to a 127-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Darius Garland added 24 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
For the Pacers, Pascal Siakam scored 23 points, and Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points. Myles Turner chipped in 17 points. The Pacers’ six-game winning streak was broken by this loss.
The Cavaliers were ahead 82-77 in the third quarter when they went on a 10-0 run, featuring 3-pointers from Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Mobley. Cleveland ended the third quarter with a 100-89 lead.
Indiana closed the gap to 111-106 but couldn’t get any closer. With 3:58 remaining and the Pacers down 120-111, Mathurin was ejected for a double technical foul. Mitchell made both technical free throws, and Mobley added one more free throw.
The Pacers had previously ended the Cavaliers’ 12-game winning streak with a 108-93 win on Sunday. Indiana played without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was out with a left groin strain.
Takeaways
Cavaliers: Cleveland bounced back from their first loss since December 8, dominating the boards with a 49-37 rebounding advantage. They also contained Siakam in the second half, limiting him to just two points on five shots.
Pacers: Indiana missed Haliburton, and his replacement, Ben Sheppard, struggled with only two assists and a 1-for-6 shooting performance.
Key Moment
When the Pacers cut the lead to 115-109, Garland responded by hitting a 27-foot 3-pointer to extend Cleveland’s lead to 118-109 with 4:48 left.
Key Stat
The Cavaliers made 26 of 31 free throws, nine more than the Pacers, who made 17 of 22. Both teams shot 48% from the field.
Up Next
The Cavaliers will face Oklahoma City on Thursday in a game between the top teams in the East and West. The Pacers will play Detroit on Thursday.