On Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 in a nail-biting Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Down seven with under a minute left, Indiana forced a turnover on an inbound pass, drew a foul and hit free throws to cut the margin to two.
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Haliburton then missed a pair of free throws, grabbed his own rebound, dribbled to the top of the arc and nailed a 24‑foot step‑back 3 with 1.1 seconds remaining, capping an eight‑point run in 47.9 seconds.
After burying the winner, Haliburton broke into Sam Cassell’s infamous “Big Balls” dance, a gesture the NBA has fined before. When asked about a potential fine, he laughed, “I’ve been waiting for that, man… I’ll take that fine gladly.”
Indiana trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter but chipped away at Cleveland’s lead behind balanced scoring.
Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith each poured in 23 points to keep the Pacers within striking distance.
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Donovan Mitchell scored 48 points and dished nine assists for Cleveland, but his efforts were undone by the late breakdown and 11‑of‑39 three‑point shooting by the Cavs.
Indiana shot 39.3% from deep and committed 18 turnovers, yet still pulled off the stunning victory.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0).© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
With this win, the No. 4 Pacers own a 2-0 lead over the Cavs.
Indiana swept Game 1 on May 4 by a 121-112 margin despite Cleveland’s late rally attempt.
The Cavs now face the daunting task of winning at least one game in Indianapolis to regain home‑court advantage.
Haliburton’s Game 2 heroics and candid reaction have already made this one of the season’s defining playoff moments.
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