The Cavaliers have been eliminated from the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs after losing 4-1 to the Pacers in their second-round series. After a strong start in Game 5, the Cavaliers built a 19-point lead early in the second quarter. The Pacers rallied back and regained the lead in the third quarter. From then on, it was an uphill battle for the Cavaliers, who eventually caved and lost the game 114-105.
Tyrese Haliburton dropped his series high in points with 31 points in the game. However, significant contributions also came from the rest of the team. All five starters finished with double-digit points for the Pacers.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers had an awful night, especially from beyond the three-point line. As a team, they scored only 25.7% of their three-point attempts in this game (9 of 35). Donovan Mitchell, who had 34 points, went to the free-throw line 21 times and was 4 of 13 from beyond the arc. Only Evan Mobley (24 points) contributed significantly other than Mitchell on the offensive end of the floor.
Max Strus and Darius Garland had a night they would want to forget as they both went 0 for 6 from beyond the arc. This defeat ends a historic season for the Cavaliers, who were the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2015-16 and beat the Miami Heat by a playoff history book record margin of 122 points.
Donovan Mitchell Continues Playoff Curse
Donovan Mitchell, ever since he was drafted into the NBA, has made the Playoffs every time. However, he has never been to the conference finals, let alone had a chance to win it all in the Finals. He set a Playoff record previously set by Michael Jordan for most consecutive series opener games with 30+ points. Yet, he once again failed to go beyond the second round in the Playoffs.
Mitchell is now under contract with the Cavaliers until the end of the 2027-28 season (including a player option in the final year). He signed a three-year, $150.3 million extension last summer. Mitchell has constantly reassured himself that he can win a championship in Cleveland. Yet again, Mitchell, after a promising regular season, has failed to deliver in the Playoffs.
What’s Next For The Indiana Pacers?
The Pacers await the winner of the Knicks vs. Celtics series in their second trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in consecutive seasons. Since Jayson Tatum has been sidelined for the rest of the season, in a series that the Celtics are already losing 3-1, it is hard to imagine the Knicks not imminently reaching the Conference Finals now.
The promising young guards Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson going head-to-head in the next series would be a strong battle of the new generation. It will be interesting to see how the Pacers come out of that series, as whoever wins between the Celtics and the Knicks will have the home court advantage over the Pacers.
