Cavaliers Rally Behind Donovan Mitchell's 43 Points to Cut Series Deficit

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had a stellar performance, scoring 43 points and grabbing nine rebounds, as the team rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 126-104 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The win brought the series deficit down to 2-1.

Donovan Mitchell had 43 points and nine rebounds, and the finally full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana 126-104 on Friday night to cut the Pacers' lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The road team has won all three games so far, but the Cavaliers were determined to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole. They used a variety of tactics, including making 14 three-pointers, dominating the rebounding battle 56-37, and even employing zone defense to slow down the high-scoring Pacers.

With key players Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter all suiting up after missing Game 2, Mitchell had the support he needed. Max Strus added 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while three other Cleveland players also scored in double figures.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 points, while Pascal Siakam had 18 and Tyrese Haliburton finished with four points and five assists in his first career home loss in a postseason game he's appeared.

The game was marked by physical play, with players often ending up sprawled on the floor. Hunter took a hard fall after making a basket early in the second quarter, while Mitchell suffered a nasty spill into the front-row seats after being called for an offensive foul.

Tempers also flared at times, with the Pacers drawing five technical fouls, including one for delay of game.

Cleveland controlled most of the game after breaking a tie and pushing their lead to 66-45 at halftime. Indiana cut it close in the fourth quarter, but Mitchell and Strus answered with back-to-back three-pointers to seal the win.