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The Cleveland Cavaliers held a double-digit lead for most of their Game 2 matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. However, some late-game heroics by Tyrese Haliburton helped the Pacers claw back, narrowing the lead to two points before Haliburton sank a game-winning three-pointer.
This dramatic finish came despite a masterful performance from Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a game-high 48 points while several key Cavaliers—Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De'Andre Hunter—were sidelined.
Encouragingly, all three participated in shootaround ahead of Game 3 in Indiana, which now carries must-win stakes. Falling into a 3-0 series hole would be nearly insurmountable, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from such a deficit to win a series.
Ahead of the pivotal Game 3, the NBA announced a historic milestone for Mitchell. His 48-point outing marked the fourth playoff game of his career with 48 or more points, tying legends Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Jerry West. The only player with more such games is Michael Jordan, who achieved the feat 12 times.
Across his eight-year NBA career—spent with the Utah Jazz and now the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last three seasons—Donovan Mitchell has cemented himself as one of the premier postseason performers of the modern era. Across 60 playoff games, he's averaged an impressive 28.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.9 rebounds.
However, Mitchell has never reached the conference finals in his postseason career, and this year—after the Cavaliers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference—appeared to be his best opportunity yet. Now, with their backs firmly against the wall, that goal is in serious jeopardy.
May 4, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half against the Indiana Pacers. © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
After the Cavaliers dropped both games on their home court, Mitchell was clear about how the team needs to approach the next two games in Indiana.
"Take care of business. We got no choice but take care of these games otherwise we'll be done," Mitchell said. "The biggest thing is we should've had Game 2, but we didn't."
He added, "We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about 4-5 days, or we can move on and take some things that we did really well and go from there."
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This dramatic finish came despite a masterful performance from Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a game-high 48 points while several key Cavaliers—Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De'Andre Hunter—were sidelined.
Encouragingly, all three participated in shootaround ahead of Game 3 in Indiana, which now carries must-win stakes. Falling into a 3-0 series hole would be nearly insurmountable, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from such a deficit to win a series.
Ahead of the pivotal Game 3, the NBA announced a historic milestone for Mitchell. His 48-point outing marked the fourth playoff game of his career with 48 or more points, tying legends Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Jerry West. The only player with more such games is Michael Jordan, who achieved the feat 12 times.
Across his eight-year NBA career—spent with the Utah Jazz and now the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last three seasons—Donovan Mitchell has cemented himself as one of the premier postseason performers of the modern era. Across 60 playoff games, he's averaged an impressive 28.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.9 rebounds.
However, Mitchell has never reached the conference finals in his postseason career, and this year—after the Cavaliers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference—appeared to be his best opportunity yet. Now, with their backs firmly against the wall, that goal is in serious jeopardy.
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May 4, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half against the Indiana Pacers. © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
After the Cavaliers dropped both games on their home court, Mitchell was clear about how the team needs to approach the next two games in Indiana.
"Take care of business. We got no choice but take care of these games otherwise we'll be done," Mitchell said. "The biggest thing is we should've had Game 2, but we didn't."
He added, "We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about 4-5 days, or we can move on and take some things that we did really well and go from there."
Continue reading...
