Cavaliers Beat Pacers 126-104, Donovan Mitchell Dominates/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 126-104, trimming their playoff series deficit to 2-1. The Cavs rebounded from earlier collapses with a dominant performance, aided by returning injured players and a zone defense. Mitchell sealed the win with clutch buckets and key assists in the fourth quarter.

Cavaliers vs. Pacers Game 3 Quick Looks

• Donovan Mitchell scores 43, adds 9 rebounds
• Cavs dominate Pacers to win 126-104 in Game 3
• Series now 2-1, road team has won each game
• Cavs used a 25-4 second-quarter run to pull away
• Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter, Darius Garland return from injury
• Max Strus adds 20 points, 4 threes, 7 assists
• Cleveland wins rebounding battle 56-37
• Tyrese Haliburton scores only 4 in home playoff loss
• Pacers commit 5 technical fouls in physical contest
• Mitchell, Strus close strong after Indiana’s late push

Deep Look

Donovan Mitchell’s 43-Point Night Revives Cavaliers in Game 3 Rout of Pacers

Donovan Mitchell made sure the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t collapse again.

After dropping leads in previous games, Mitchell put the team on his backscoring 43 points and leading the Cavs to a 126-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Friday night in Indianapolis.

With the series now at 2-1 in favor of the Pacers, all three games have been won by the road team. But this one felt different — a determined Cleveland squad leaned on returning players, tactical adjustments, and pure firepower to avoid a 3-0 series deficit.

Mitchell, Strus Seal the Deal in the Fourth

After Indiana cut the lead to 104-93 in the final quarter, Mitchell responded with a 13-foot fadeaway and a dagger pull-up three. Then he found Max Strus for another 3-pointer, quelling the Pacers’ momentum and silencing the home crowd.

A Healthier Cavaliers Lineup Makes a Difference

The Cavaliers looked much more like their regular-season selves, bolstered by the return of Evan Mobley, De’ other hunterand Darius Garland. The trio had missed Game 2 with injuries but made their presence known in Game 3.

The Cavs hit 14 3-pointersdominated the glass with a 56-37 rebounding edgeand even employed zone defense to disrupt Indiana’s offensive rhythm.

Frustrated Pacers Falter Early and Lose Composure

Indiana never led and couldn’t recover from a second-quarter stretch where Cleveland went on a 25-4 run to break a 36-36 tie and take a commanding 66-45 halftime lead.

Tyrese Haliburton was held to just 4 points and 5 assistsmarking his first career home playoff loss in a game he played. Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 23 points, and Pascal Sakak added 18, but it wasn’t enough.

Physical Game Gets Chippy

The contest turned into the most physical of the serieswith both teams taking hard hits and several players hitting the deck. Indiana picked up five technical foulsfurther indicating their frustration as Cleveland controlled the tempo.

Mitchell took a nasty spill into the courtside seats, while Hunter absorbed a shoulder blow that nearly sent him to the floor.

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