Haliburton, Pacers stun Cavaliers in Game 2 comeback win | Basketball News

Tyrese Haliburton grabbed his personal missed free throw and buried a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining, giving the visiting Indiana Pacers a 120-119 victory over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers in Sport 2 of the Japanese Convention semifinals, and taking a commanding lead within the collection.

The Pacers scored the ultimate eight factors on Tuesday after Donovan Mitchell made two free throws to push Cleveland’s result in 119-112 with 57 seconds left. Baskets by Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam made it a one-possession sport, and Andrew Nembhard stole the following inbounds go from Max Strus.

Haliburton drew a foul with 12.4 seconds remaining, making his first free throw to make it 119-117, then grabbed his miss on the second. He dribbled past the arc earlier than making the 3-pointer to finish Indiana’s comeback from 20 factors down.

“Clearly, we acquired fortunate,” stated Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “Ty hit one other wonderful shot to win the sport. You don’t see this fairly often, not to mention twice in a single week. Tyrese, he got here by means of once more. We’re very lucky.”

“I’m at peace with my sport,” stated Haliburton. “I perceive that I’m trusted in these moments … It’s a particular feeling. I receives a commission some huge cash to play a youngsters’ sport and I’m having loads of enjoyable doing it.”

Mitchell amassed 48 factors, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals for the top-seeded Cavaliers, who have been with out three key gamers: NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months Evan Mobley (left ankle sprain), All-Star level guard Darius Garland (left large toe sprain) and key reserve De’Andre Hunter (proper thumb sprain).

Cleveland misplaced the primary two video games of a collection at house for the primary time since 1996, when it was swept by the Knicks in a best-of-three matchup.

“We outplayed them for many of the sport, however we ran out of gasoline,” stated Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson. “We couldn’t separate ourselves. Each possession, they simply upped their physicality.”

“It’s arduous to place all this in phrases,” stated Carlisle. “Cleveland hit us with a hellacious punch early within the sport. Within the fourth, we simply held on. We maintained sufficient power to get it accomplished. Give the blokes credit score, they by some means discovered a means.”

Nesmith and Myles Turner every scored 23 factors and Haliburton had 11 of his 19 factors within the fourth quarter. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 factors and Nembhard collected 13 factors, 13 assists and 7 rebounds, together with eight turnovers, for fourth-seeded Indiana.

Mitchell, a six-time All-Star, scored 12 factors within the first, 15 within the third and 12 within the fourth in an electrifying efficiency. He made 15 of 30 subject aim makes an attempt and was 17 of 21 on free throws, setting profession highs in free throws made and tried.

“Mitchell had a heroic sport,” stated Carlisle. “However proper now, we’re deeper than them. I believe we wore them down.”

“Everyone was drained, however they have been drained,” stated Haliburton. “The damage-down impact had lots to do with it.”

Strus had 23 factors and Jarrett Allen posted 22 factors and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who led 81-61 halfway by means of the third. Sam Merrill scored 14 off the bench.

“We outplayed them for almost all of the sport, then we had our psychological lapses,” stated Allen. “Now it’s, ‘Will we be capable of replicate it?’ They capitalised on each mistake we made on the finish.”

Energy ahead Mobley and Hunter have been each injured Sunday in Sport 1 on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions that weren’t deemed fouls. Garland has not performed since April 23 in opposition to the Warmth.

Mobley landed on Turner’s foot because the latter slid below him on a shot, whereas Hunter dislocated his thumb as he fell after his dunk was blocked by Mathurin.

Atkinson, named NBA Coach of the 12 months earlier this week, expressed his displeasure in three-minute responses on Monday after apply and earlier than the sport, eliciting a response from Carlisle.

“No person desires to see gamers get harm,” Carlisle stated. “That disturbs the hell out of us.”

Sport 3 within the best-of-seven collection strikes to Indianapolis on Friday.