Myles Turner went for a season-high 27 points, Tyrese Haliburton buried a long-range 2-pointer with 17.7 seconds remaining and the host Indiana Pacers became the first winner in the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament with a 121-116 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night in Indianapolis.
The victory temporarily put the Pacers atop East Group A in a six-division format that separates teams into groups of five.
Down by as many as 18 points, the Cavaliers set up a see-saw fourth quarter with a 34-point third-quarter explosion that left them down by just one, 88-87, headed into the final 12 minutes.
Six lead changes later, the Pacers had a 113-106 advantage before Evan Mobley converted a tip-in, Donovan Mitchell a 14-footer and Darius Garland two free throws to make it a one-point game with 2:16 to go.
But then Haliburton took over, first nailing a pair of free throws with 2:04 to go. Then, after a Mitchell 15-footer, the Indiana star connected from just inside the arc for a 117-114 lead with 17.7 seconds left.
After Turner blocked Mobley’s layup, the Cavaliers retained possession and had a chance to tie. But Caris LeVert was off the mark on a 3-pointer, after which Haliburton dropped in four more foul shots to ice the Pacers’ win.
Turner finished with a team-high nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks to complement his team-high point total, while Haliburton put up an 18-point, 13-assist double-double.
Bruce Brown (19 points), Buddy Hield (14), Jalen Smith (13) and Aaron Nesmith (13) also scored in double figures for Indiana, which won 125-113 at Cleveland in a non-tournament game last Saturday.
Mitchell, who sat out the earlier meeting, was the game’s top scorer with 38 points to go with a team-high nine assists. He shot 4-for-7 on 3-pointers, but the Cavaliers were outscored 45-24 by the Pacers from beyond the arc.
Mobley notched a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games. Garland also finished with 14 points, while LeVert had 13 and Georges Niang 12. Jarrett Allen and Max Strus had 10 apiece.
–Field Level Media
