INDIANAPOLIS — After getting a win on the road in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers were looking to even things up with a win in Game 4. Instead, they suffered a crushing loss, dropping Game 4 to the Pacers 129-109 and falling 3-1 in the series.
Cleveland opened up the first quarter sloppily, giving up turnovers and struggling to find quality shots. Meanwhile, the Pacers opened up shooting lights out. In the first quarter, Indiana shot 60% from three, 53.8% from the field. The Cavs struggled offensively, turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter, only notching two assists as they trailed Indiana 38-23 in the first frame.
It's been a physical series and that continued in Game 4. In the first quarter, an altercation saw Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin called for a flagrant 2 after punching Cavs swingman De'Andre Hunter. Mathurin was ejected from the game, and in the direct aftermath, Hunter and Pacers' Myles Turner were both assessed technical fouls.
The entire first half was a struggle for the Cavs. The team looked frazzled, flustered and frantic on offense, scoring just 16 points to the Pacers' 42 points in the second quarter. The Cavs exited the court at halftime down 80-39. That's not a typo. Cleveland faced a 41-point deficit entering the second half.
If the first half was bad, somehow the second half was worse, because the Cavs lost their superstar, Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell played 20 minutes in the first half of Sunday's game, scoring 12 points with one rebound, one steal, no assists and two turnovers. Mitchell didn't come out of the locker room for the second half. He wasn't on the bench as the Cavs took the court, and midway through the third quarter, the Cavs announced he sustained a left ankle injury and was doubtful to return.
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There was no recovery for the Cavs, who cleared the benches and sent out their reserves early in the fourth quarter.
Darius Garland was Cleveland's lead scorer with 21 points in addition to his six assists. Max Strus scored 11 with three assists and six rebounds. Jarrett Allen scored just two points with two rebounds and a block.
The Pacers had three players score over 20 points, with Pascal Siakam putting up 21 and Turner and Obi Toppin each scoring 20.
Cleveland faces elimination with one more loss in the series.
The Cavs and Pacers head back to Cleveland for Game 5, which will tip off on Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside Rocket Arena.
