Pacers Take Crucial Step—But Can They Overcome Their Final Hurdle?
When the chips were down early in the game, and the Indiana Pacers lost Bennedict Mathurin to a first-quarter ejection, most would’ve expected the momentum to swing the other way. But nope—not this squad. They clapped back hard, thumping the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 to surge ahead 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semi-final series. The resilience on display? Just remarkable. I mean, the Pacers didn’t just win—they shattered their own playoff record for points in a half with a blistering 80-39 run through the first half. And with Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Obi Toppin lighting up the scoreboard, this team’s showing they’re built to thrive when under pressure. Sure, the Cavs were missing Donovan Mitchell after that ankle tweak, but still, the grit the Pacers showed? That’s the stuff that builds champions. Meanwhile, over in the Western Conference, the Thunder clawed back from a tough stretch to even their series with the Nuggets, in a scrappy game that even the coaches called “disgusting.” Talk about high stakes, low beauty. These playoffs just keep delivering edge-of-your-seat moments.
The game tipped off approximately 38 hours after Denver’s overtime win in game three and both sides showed signs of fatigue with Nuggets coach David Adelman describing Sunday’s encounter as a “really disgusting basketball game”.He added: “Give their team credit, those guys made plays, made enough plays to push them over the edge and win the game.”Elsewhere, Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Denver Nuggets 92-87 to level their Western Conference series at 2-2.Pascal Siakam scored 21 points for the Pacers while Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each added 20 as they bounced back from a heavy 126-104 loss in game three.The Thunder host game five on Wednesday (02:30 BST).”This is a group that plays better through adversity,” said Turner. “We got punched in the mouth last game, we had a hell of a response. The starters set the tone and the bench picked it up the rest of the game.”Mathurin left the game with four minutes and 32 seconds left in the opening period after a punch to the chest of De’Andre Hunter.A win for the Pacers over the top seeds in game five in Cleveland on Wednesday (00:00 BST) will see them reach a second straight conference final.
Thunder level series in ‘disgusting’ game
The Cavaliers were without six-time All Star Donovan Mitchell in the second half after he suffered an ankle injury – the 28-year-old will have an MRI scan on Monday to see if he can play on Wednesday.The Nuggets overcame a poor start to lead 53-52 midway through the third quarter and led by eight points early in the fourth.At that stage, the Pacers led 22-10 and they were 38-23 at the end of the quarter before outscoring their rivals 42-16 in the second to hold a 80-39 advantageThe total was a Pacers franchise play-off record for points in a half.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points with six rebounds and six assists to lead Oklahoma City, while NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Denver.Getty Images
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