Cleveland- The Cavs were without their stars, and there was a valiant effort put up, but in the end, the Pacers left Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse with a 125 – 113 win over the Cavs. The Cavs, playing without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen got big nights from Caris Levert who finished with 31 points and 8 assist, and Evan Mobley with 33 and 14 rebounds.
In the end though, the Cavs couldn’t keep up with the Pacers who were at full strength. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and 13 assist with only 1 turnover. Haliburton hit two clutch threes in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 10 late in the fourth that really put the game away for the Pacers.
The Cavs started the game hot jumping out to a lead as much as 15 points. But the Pacers led by Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith (26 points 5-9 from 3) took control during the second quarter and never looked back. The Pacers held the Cavs to just 12 points in the second quarter.
Photo via Cleveland Cavaliers
The second half saw the Cavs make runs and put up a fight. Levert and Mobley each had highlights and George Niang hit his first three as a member of the Cavs. Max Strus received a tech in the third quarter, and then scored 7 of his 21 in the quarter. When the Cavs feel wronged, they come out more aggressive and they play with a different level of intensity.
The Cavs scored 38 points in the third and cut the lead to 5 going into the fourth quarter. But while the Cavs clawed their way back, the Pacers were able to play their regulars. The Cavs just simply ran out of steam as they clawed back and forth in the second half, until Haliburton hit back-to-back threes to ice the game and send the Cavs faithful home early.
Though no one believes in “moral victories,” Evan Mobley was impressive. He was aggressive on both ends of the court. He controlled the paint, on both ends. Mobley had his best game of the very early season and will look to add to that in the coming games. If Mobley shows up when Garland and Mitchell are back, the Cavs will become one of the best teams in the NBA and Mobley will move into the upper echelon of the league’s young stars. The defense is always there, but Saturday night he was special on offense.
Photo via Cleveland Cavaliers
While Saturday was a long night for the Cavs, it didn’t surprise anyone. The Cavs just simply were undermanned. They will look to get their guys back for a rematch against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Both Mitchell and Garland should be back, and Jarrett Allen is more day to day according to Coach JB Bickerstaff. Before judging this team, we have to see them with all of their parts, because what we’ve seen from the role players has been encouraging. If the three All-Stars come back and play like all stars, the Cavs will be ready to make some noise and…. Let ‘Em Know!
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