4 months ago
- Cavaliers
- Updated: Jan. 06, 2026, 9:39 p.m.
- Published: Jan. 06, 2026, 9:39 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS — Nothing comes easy for nan Cavs these days.
Not moreover against nan NBA’s worst squad — a ammunition of nan Pacers roster that tossed Cleveland retired of nan playoffs this past outpouring and entered nan nighttime riding a 12-game losing skid.
Despite being down for astir of nan game, nan Cavs rallied successful nan 4th fourth to flight Indiana pinch a 120-116 triumph that allowed them to debar different dose of embarrassment.
Playing without All-Star hopeful and starring scorer Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland sewage disconnected to a sluggish start. It went down by 9 points early and trailed for astir 8 of nan 12 first-quarter minutes.
The Cavs, pinch nan league’s worst 2nd 4th nett rating, picked up their play successful nan second, moreover taking a little lead astir nan five-minute people of nan period. It lasted conscionable 28 seconds. The Cavs were outscored 17-8 to decorativeness nan quarter, pinch nan Pacers going up by 7 astatine nan break.
It was nine-point Indiana advantage entering nan fourth.
Would nan Pacers break Cleveland’s bosom again?
Darius Garland to nan rescue.
The Cavs utilized a 10-2 tally complete nan first two-plus minutes to trim nan lead to one. Then they went successful beforehand for nan first clip successful nan 2nd half pinch 7:51 remaining.
Even though Indiana scored nan adjacent 5 to quickly reclaim nan advantage, a clutch Garland jumper gave nan Cavs nan lead for good, holding disconnected a late-game rally from nan feisty Pacers who sewage arsenic adjacent arsenic 1 successful nan last minutes.
Garland led each scorers pinch 29 points, including 14 successful nan 4th fourth while shaking disconnected a backmost injury.
Evan Mobley added 20 points while Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill had 19 apiece. Craig Porter Jr., playing a short thrust from wherever he grew up, tallied 8 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds successful 28 impactful minutes disconnected nan bench. Dean Wade, who returned from a two-game absence because of a knee contusion, re-injured that aforesaid knee and did not play successful nan 2nd half.
The Pacers, who proceed to beryllium without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) and Isaiah Jackson (concussion), sewage 22 points from Pascal Siakam. Center Jay Huff chipped successful pinch 20 points connected 7 of 10 shooting.
Prior to nan game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said pinch belief astir his squad astatine immoderate constituent catching a activity and uncovering themselves.
Tuesday is astir apt not what he had successful mind. But Cleveland recovered a way. It’s building rather a estimation arsenic a resilient, comeback team, ripping distant different triumph that seemed for illustration a loss.
Up next
The Cavs will proceed this two-game roadworthy travel pinch a matchup against nan Minnesota Timberwolves connected Thursday night. Tipoff is group for 8 p.m.
Chris Fedor has much than 20 years of acquisition successful Cleveland sports media, starting his profession successful power and making a full-time modulation to multimedia publicity astir a decade ago. While he has covered the...
