Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining, giving the Indiana Pacers a 120-119 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The win puts the Pacers ahead 2-0 in the best-of-seven NBA Playoffs series as it shifts to Indianapolis.
The Pacers trailed by 20 points and were down seven with under a minute to play before mounting a quick comeback. Haliburton grabbed his own missed free throw and made the shot from beyond the arc to complete the rally.
Donovan Mitchell delivered a high-scoring performance for the short-handed Cavaliers, finishing with 48 points, nine assists and five rebounds. He made 15 of 30 field goals and set career highs with 17 free throws made on 21 attempts.
Cleveland played without three injured rotational players. Evan Mobley, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, missed the game with a left ankle sprain. All-Star guard Darius Garland remained out with a left big toe sprain, and De’Andre Hunter did not play due to a right thumb sprain. Mobley and Hunter sustained their injuries Sunday in Game 1.
Other Pacers players contributed to the win. Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner each scored 23 points. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points. Andrew Nembhard recorded 13 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds, along with eight turnovers.
For the Cavaliers, Max Strus scored 23 points and Jarrett Allen posted 22 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Merrill added 14 points off the bench. Allen commented on the team's performance, noting mental lapses at the end.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged the team's good fortune in the win. "You don’t see this very often," Carlisle said, referring to Haliburton's second game-winning shot in a week. Haliburton previously had a game-winner in the prior round against the Bucks.
The loss marked the first time since 1996 the Cavaliers lost the first two games of a series at home. Coach Kenny Atkinson said the team ran out of energy after largely outplaying the Pacers for most of the contest.
The series continues with Game 3 scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis. For scores and schedules of current NBA games and other 2025 NBA Playoffs information, fans can follow updates online.
Allen commented on the path ahead. "Now it's, 'Will we be able to replicate it?' They capitalized on every mistake we made at the end," he said.
