Cavaliers Collapse Late, Haliburton & Pacers Steal Game Two

The Indiana Pacers stormed back to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119, taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Late-game heroics from Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton saved the game.

The Cavaliers led the entire game, at one point leading by as much as 20 points. The Cavs opened the game with a 32-15 first quarter and entered the fourth quarter with a 98-84 lead.

Cleveland was playing the game without DeAndre Hunter and Evan Mobley. Darius Garland, who has missed the past four games with a toe injury, didn’t play either.

Despite missing two starters, the Cavs led 119-116 points with 12.1 seconds left. Haliburton was shooting two free throws at the line. He made the first free throw and grabbed the rebound after missing the second. He ran out to the three-point line and made a step-back three to ice the game.

“I have all the confidence in the world to make these shots,” Haliburton said. “Just trying to make plays out there.”

Haliburton finished the game with 19 points on 7-11 from the field.

The Cavaliers were led by Donovan Mitchell, who finished the game with 48 points on 15-30 from the field. Mitchell took 21 free throws, going 17-21 from the line.

The series heads to Indiana on Friday when the Pacers, up 2-0 in the series, will try to go up 3-0 over the one seed in the Eastern Conference.

Only 34 teams, or 7.4% of teams, have come back to win a series from down 2-0. No team in history has come back from down 3-0.