Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points as Indiana came from 19 down to beat Cleveland 114-105 and reach the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers won Game 5 on 13 May 2025 to take the series 4-1 and advance in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2014.
Haliburton shoots Indiana back into the game
Cleveland led 44-25 in the second quarter, but Haliburton made five three-pointers before half-time and cut the deficit to four.
The Pacers seized control with a 17-2 run in the third. They made 14 of 22 shots in the quarter and entered the fourth ahead 85-76.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, Andrew Nembhard added 18 and Aaron Nesmith finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Carlisle’s timeout resets the Pacers
Rick Carlisle called timeout less than a minute into the second half after a breakdown gave Darius Garland an uncontested layup.
“We came in the timeout and said, ‘No more. This isn’t us,'” Carlisle said. Indiana responded immediately and never surrendered control again.
Cleveland loses all three home games
Donovan Mitchell returned from a sprained ankle and scored 35, but he and Garland shot a combined 12 for 41.
Mitchell’s three brought Cleveland within 106-103 late, before Indiana scored eight of the final 10 points. The Cavaliers lost all three home games in a playoff series for the first time.
“We let the city down,” Mitchell said. Indiana ended a 64-win season by maintaining the relentless pace and pressure that Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson called the defining feature of the series.
