Donovan Mitchell scores 43, Cavs keep away from 0-3 gap vs Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) and guard Donovan Mitchell (45) have fun throughout the second half of Recreation 3 within the Jap Convention semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs towards the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Friday, Could 9, 2025. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS — Donovan Mitchell had 43 factors and 9 rebounds, and the lastly full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana 126-104 on Friday evening to chop the Pacers’ result in 2-1 within the Jap Convention semifinals.

The street workforce has received all three video games within the collection, and the Pacers could have one other probability to interrupt that pattern Sunday in Recreation 4.

READ: NBA: Donovan Mitchell, depleted Cavs down 0-2 vs Pacers

Cleveland was determined to keep away from falling right into a 3-0 gap and used all the things in its arsenal to carry on this time — making 14 3-pointers, holding a 56-37 rebounding edge, even counting on zone protection to decelerate the high-scoring Pacers.

And with NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months Evan Mobley, All-Star guard Darius Garland and key backup De’Andre Hunter all suited up after lacking Recreation 2, Mitchell obtained the help he wanted.

Donovan Mitchell was UNSTOPPABLE within the @cavs Recreation 3 street win!

🕷️ 43 factors
🕷️ 9 rebounds
🕷️ 5 assists
🕷️ 5 threes

Cleveland appears to tie the collection Sunday at 8:00pm/et on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/lNvsm2iVj9

— NBA (@NBA) Could 10, 2025

Max Strus made 4 3-pointers and completed with 20 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists. Three different Cleveland gamers additionally scored in double figures on an evening the Cavs led by as a lot 26, by no means trailed and managed to guard their late lead when the Pacers minimize the deficit to 11 early within the fourth.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 factors. Pascal Siakam had 18 and Tyrese Haliburton completed with 4 factors and 5 assists in his first profession residence loss in a postseason sport he’s appeared.

READ: NBA: Haliburton hits final second 3, Pacers take 2-0 lead over Cavs

Probably the most bodily of the three video games resulted in gamers routinely sprawled on the ground. Hunter changed into a tough shoulder after making a basket early within the second quarter, a collision that almost knocked him down, and Mitchell took a nasty spill into the front-row seats whereas being known as for an offensive foul.

Tempers additionally flared at instances with the Pacers drawing 5 technical fouls, one for a delay of sport.

On the courtroom, although, Cleveland managed a lot of the sport after breaking a 36-36 tie with a 25-4 run that helped push the Cavs to a 66-45 halftime cushion.

Indiana minimize it to 80-65 halfway by the third quarter and regarded prepared to tug off one other fourth-quarter rally when Siakam’s 3 with 8:24 to play made it 104-93. However Mitchell and Strus answered with back-to-back 3s to steer a game-sealing cost.