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INDIANAPOLIS — The Cavaliers recovered from their Game 2 collapse and beat the Pacers 126-104 in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, bringing the Eastern Conference Semifinals to a 2-1 Indiana lead.
The Cavs built and lost a 15-point lead, all in the first quarter, before utilizing a 3-2 zone defense in the second quarter the allowed them to again construct a sizeable lead. This time, in a game that featured the return of All-Stars Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter off the bench, the Cavaliers held off a Pacers fourth-quarter comeback.
The entire Cavs starting lineup finished in double-figures, led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored a game-high 43 points while hitting five of his 13 3-point attempts.
Here are instant reactions and analysis to the Cavs’ Game 3 win from Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
Cavs vs Pacers Game 3: Ryan Lewis’ instant reaction
The move to the 3-2 zone in the second quarter might have saved the Cavaliers’ playoff hopes. The Pacers had just gone on a 22-7 run to close out the first quarter, and a 3-0 series lead might have done it. Once Kenny Atkinson switched to the 3-2 — something the Cavs didn’t really utilize during the regular season too much — Cleveland cruised from there. The Cavs will need to check on Darius Garland’s status, but he was able to re-enter the game. Garland and Evan Mobley, especially, looked good as new in their returns to the floor to open the game. Adding two All-Stars back to the starting lineup completely reverses the perception of this series, and the Cavs suddenly once again look like the No. 1 seed in the East. The Cavs know they can build a lead against these Pacers — something they also did in Game 2 before running out of gas — and now they might have the rotational depth to make it count. Again, Donovan Mitchell was tremendous, namely with a three-play stretch in the fourth quarter that featured a Mitchell jumper, then a Mitchell 3 and finally an assist to Strus for a 3 that just about ended it.
Cavs vs Pacers Game 3: Nate Ulrich’s instant reaction
The Cavs deployed a zone defense and outscored the Pacers 34-13 in the second quarter to seize a 66-45 halftime advantage. But the commanding lead didn’t necessarily mean the Cavs would win Game 3. After all, they had just blown a 20-point lead and lost Game 2 in heartbreaking fashion three days earlier. This time, though, the Cavs had three key players who were sidelined with injuries in Game 2. It seemed to give the Cavs an emotional lift, even though the production of the players who returned varied. All-Star forward Evan Mobley (sprained left ankle), All-Star point guard Darius Garland (sprained left big toe) and wing De’Andre Hunter (sprained right shooting thumb) were back. Mobley, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had the best outing of the three and provided a significant boost on both ends of the court. He scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds with four assists and three blocked shots in 35 minutes. Garland had an adventurous game with three fouls in the first quarter alone and an apparent aggravation of his injury roughly midway through the third quarter. He checked out of the game with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter. He was idle for the rest of the third quarter but started the fourth. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field and three assists. Hunter added eight points on 2-of-6 shooting from the floor.
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