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INDIANAPOLIS — The Cavaliers were obliterated 129-109 by the Indiana Pacersin Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pacers opened up an 80-39 halftime lead, and by then the game was over. Indiana will take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 in Cleveland, set for Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena, where the Cavs will be fighting for their playoff lives.
Game 4 also involved a heated moment between De'Andre Hunter and Bennedict Mathurin, which led to Mathurin's ejection.
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell left the game at halftime with a left ankle injury.
Here are instant reactions from Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
The Pacers absolutely ran the Cavaliers out of the building. After a resounding Game 3 win and some major steps toward being fully healthy, it really looked like the Cavs would have all the momentum in the series moving into Game 4. The Pacers obliterated that idea only a few minutes into the game. It was a dominating performance on both ends of the floor. The Cavs were outrun, outmuscled, outshot. This Game 4 loss brought up questions after Game 1 about the Pacers shooting at "other-worldly" percentages, but also whether it might be sustainable if their ball movement led to such high quality shot attempts — which is a huge problem for the Cavs. This was extremely impressive from Indiana, and the Cavs are going to be looking for answers heading into Game 5. There isn't any gimmick to pull out anymore, and the injured players are back — the Cavs simply have to beat the Pacers at their own game, now three times in a row, and they're left to worry about Donovan Mitchell's status.
With 4:32 left in the first quarter, the Cavs seemingly caught a big break when Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin drew a flagrant 2 foul and was thereby ejected for striking Cavs wing De'Andre Hunter in the sternum with a closed fist. Mathurin had been a thorn in Cleveland's side throughout the series, scoring 11 points in Game 1, 19 in Game 2 and 23 in Game 3. But it turns out the Pacers didn't need Mathurin to crush the Cavs. They were seemingly fired up in all the right ways by the altercation and thrashed the Cavs. The Pacers led 80-39 at halftime, and the 41-point halftime differential tied for the largest in NBA playoff history, according to ESPN. Then to make matters worse for Cleveland, Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell didn't appear on the court or bench to begin the second half. Uh-oh! The Cavs announced roughly midway through the third quarter Mitchell was doubtful to return with a left ankle injury. Everything that could go wrong for the Cavs did go wrong. They were out of sorts on offense. They were torched on defense. It was beyond ugly. They had just cut their series deficit to 2-1 two days earlier, only to become a no-show in a crucial Game 4. It's inexcusable, and now they're left to fight for their playoff lives in an elimination game May 13 in Cleveland.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs vs Indiana Pacers Game 4 instant reactions, highlights
Continue reading...
The Pacers opened up an 80-39 halftime lead, and by then the game was over. Indiana will take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 in Cleveland, set for Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena, where the Cavs will be fighting for their playoff lives.
Game 4 also involved a heated moment between De'Andre Hunter and Bennedict Mathurin, which led to Mathurin's ejection.
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell left the game at halftime with a left ankle injury.
Here are instant reactions from Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
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Cavs vs Pacers Game 4: Ryan Lewis' instant reaction
The Pacers absolutely ran the Cavaliers out of the building. After a resounding Game 3 win and some major steps toward being fully healthy, it really looked like the Cavs would have all the momentum in the series moving into Game 4. The Pacers obliterated that idea only a few minutes into the game. It was a dominating performance on both ends of the floor. The Cavs were outrun, outmuscled, outshot. This Game 4 loss brought up questions after Game 1 about the Pacers shooting at "other-worldly" percentages, but also whether it might be sustainable if their ball movement led to such high quality shot attempts — which is a huge problem for the Cavs. This was extremely impressive from Indiana, and the Cavs are going to be looking for answers heading into Game 5. There isn't any gimmick to pull out anymore, and the injured players are back — the Cavs simply have to beat the Pacers at their own game, now three times in a row, and they're left to worry about Donovan Mitchell's status.
Cavs vs Pacers Game 4: Nate Ulrich's instant reaction
With 4:32 left in the first quarter, the Cavs seemingly caught a big break when Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin drew a flagrant 2 foul and was thereby ejected for striking Cavs wing De'Andre Hunter in the sternum with a closed fist. Mathurin had been a thorn in Cleveland's side throughout the series, scoring 11 points in Game 1, 19 in Game 2 and 23 in Game 3. But it turns out the Pacers didn't need Mathurin to crush the Cavs. They were seemingly fired up in all the right ways by the altercation and thrashed the Cavs. The Pacers led 80-39 at halftime, and the 41-point halftime differential tied for the largest in NBA playoff history, according to ESPN. Then to make matters worse for Cleveland, Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell didn't appear on the court or bench to begin the second half. Uh-oh! The Cavs announced roughly midway through the third quarter Mitchell was doubtful to return with a left ankle injury. Everything that could go wrong for the Cavs did go wrong. They were out of sorts on offense. They were torched on defense. It was beyond ugly. They had just cut their series deficit to 2-1 two days earlier, only to become a no-show in a crucial Game 4. It's inexcusable, and now they're left to fight for their playoff lives in an elimination game May 13 in Cleveland.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs vs Indiana Pacers Game 4 instant reactions, highlights
Continue reading...
