INDIANAPOLIS — Larry Nance Jr.’s buzzer-beating tip-in gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 92-91 victory at Indiana on Tuesday night.
W O W ‼️@Larrydn22 with an UNBELIEVABLE putback to WIN IT FOR THE CAVS at the 🚨!#BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/BpELwnx5c9
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 19, 2018
Nance finished with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in the Cavs’ third road victory of the season. Rodney Hood scored 17 points to lead Cleveland, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Pacers were led by Domantas Sabonis’ 17 points and Bojan Bogdanovic’s 14, but never took control long enough to pull away from Cleveland. The loss ended Indiana’s season-best seven-game winning streak.
Indiana certainly had its chances.
Victor Oladipo missed two free throws with 9.5 seconds left, failing to extend the Pacers 91-90 lead.
And after the Cavs called timeout, Hood’s layup bounced off the rim — and right into the hands of Nance, whose shot withstood a replay review.
It was that kind of night for Indiana, which seemed to get caught overlooking one of the league’s three seven-win teams with a showdown looming at Toronto on Wednesday.
They shot 39.8 percent from the field, were 4 of 22 on 3-pointers and lacked intensity all night.
And Cleveland finally took advantage of its opportunity in the waning seconds.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Played without Kevin Love (left foot surgery), Jordan Clarkson (sore lower back), Tristan Thompson (sprained left foot) and John Henson (left wrist surgery). ... Cleveland is now 3-11 on the road. .. The Cavaliers’ streak of consecutive games with 10 or more 3s ended at seven. Cleveland was 6 of 31 from beyond the arc. ... Hood has scored in double figures 23 times this season. Matthew Dellavedova scored 10 points and has been in double figures in all games since being acquired in a trade with Milwaukee. ... Collin Sexton had 12 points.
Pacers: Had a two-game home winning streak against the Pacers end. .. Indiana is now 14-4 against Eastern Conference teams this season. ... Myles Turner had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. ... Bogdanovic has scored in double figures in 22 consecutive games, the longest streak of his NBA career. ... The Pacers are 10-1 when holding opponents to 97 or fewer points this season.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Will make the second stop of their three-game road trip Wednesday at Charlotte.
Pacers: Hope to snap a nine-game losing streak at Toronto on Wednesday.
