The Indiana Pacers are doing something special — and Tyrese Haliburton is at the heart of it. For the third consecutive playoff game, the All-Star guard delivered in the clutch, this time drilling a go-ahead three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left as the Pacers stunned the top-seeded and short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night. The win gives Indiana a commanding 2-0 series lead — and both victories came on the road.
“My teammates trust me. My coaches trust me. I know I’m built for these moments,” Haliburton said postgame. “This is what I work for.”
The trust was rewarded in dramatic fashion. Haliburton, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, capped off a furious final-minute comeback in which the Pacers closed on an 8-0 run over the last 47.9 seconds. After Andrew Nembhard stole an inbounds pass from Max Strus with 27.5 seconds left, Haliburton was fouled on a drive and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to two. He then grabbed his own missed second shot, dribbled back to the top of the arc, and hit the game-winner to silence Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It was the latest big moment from Haliburton, who hit a game-winning layup in overtime to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks in Round 1 and nailed a crucial three-pointer late in Game 1 against Cleveland.
Indiana got strong contributions across the board. Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith each scored 23 points, and the Pacers once again showed resilience, coming back from a 17-point third-quarter deficit. It marked the first time Indiana has won the first two games of a playoff series on the road since 1994 against the Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers wasted a spectacular 48-point performance from Donovan Mitchell. He carried Cleveland throughout, scoring 15 points in the third quarter alone to help the Cavs build what looked like a commanding 98-81 lead. But without three key rotation players — starters Evan Mobley (left ankle) and Darius Garland (left toe), and reserve De’Andre Hunter (right thumb) — Cleveland ran out of gas late and failed to close the door.
Jarrett Allen added 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Strus hit what appeared to be the dagger three-pointer with 1:06 left to push Cleveland up 117-110. But Indiana responded with relentless effort, fueled by key offensive rebounds and timely defense.
The loss marks the first time since 1996 that the Cavaliers have dropped their first two home games in a playoff series — a troubling omen as the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Friday night.
For now, the Pacers have all the momentum, and with Haliburton leading the charge, Indiana believes it’s only just getting started.
