CLEVELAND, Ohio — This year was supposed to be different.
It wasn’t.
The top-seeded Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season. This time, by the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers in a 114-105 Game 5 loss.
Cleveland lost the best-of-seven series 4-1.
“They were the better team. They deserved it. They played great,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said after the latest organizational setback. “I do feel like we got better and from a team aspect and then we had a lot of individuals make a step. But the truth of the matter is we didn’t get to the level we wanted. We’re not pleased with that, and we’re not celebrating the season. We’ve got to figure out this last piece, how to get over this hump. I was, quite honestly, expecting more. It’s disappointing.”
With their backs against the wall, facing the most adversity of the season, the Cavs got off to a nervy start. So did Indiana. The two teams — each with a prolific offense — were a combined 4 of 19 from the field and 0 of 7 from 3-point range in the opening four-plus minutes.
By the end of the first quarter, Cleveland seemed to settle in, leading 31-19 on the brawny shoulders of star guard Donovan Mitchell who had 13 of those first-quarter points — tied for his most in an opening period this postseason.
But the relentless high-tempo Pacers, looking to advance to the conference finals for a second year in a row, kept coming. They showed their depth, skill, toughness, mettle and readiness.
Behind two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who was laughably voted the league’s Most Overrated Player in an end-of-season anonymous player poll, the Pacers cut a one-time 19-point Cavs lead to single digits around the five-minute mark of the second quarter. They were within one briefly before trailing by four going into the halftime break.
Cleveland scored the first four out of the locker room, forcing Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to call timeout, begging his team to keep its composure. That was never a problem during this gentleman’s sweep.
About five minutes later, feisty Indiana had reclaimed the lead for just the fourth time all night and first since the 7:25 mark of the opening quarter.
The rally towels dropped. Fans sat down. Anxiety and concern filled the arena, replacing the early-game roars and hope.
By the end of the Pacers’ 28-12 assault to open the third quarter, they had a 12-point advantage — their biggest of the night.
Indiana was up by nine going into the fourth.
Twelve minutes to save the season. Twelve minutes to start rewriting the springtime narrative.
The prideful Cavaliers opened the fourth on a spirited 10-2 run. They pulled within one multiple times. It was a one-possession game with 1:27 left following a clutch Mitchell triple — a stretch in which he scored six straight points to temporarily resuscitate Cleveland’s dreams.
That was until Myles Turner’s dagger 3-pointer with 23.2 seconds that put the Pacers back up by nine.
As the Cavs called timeout, Turner yanked his jersey down and flexed, letting everyone know that Indiana —not Cleveland — has arrived.
“Don’t want to believe it,” Mitchell said. “It’s tough to win in this league. We didn’t do the things necessary. I love playing in that (expletive) arena. That energy. That crowd. We were 0-3 at home. Let the city down. This place is special. This place is really special. And we didn’t get it done. That’s what hurts.”
Mitchell finished with a game-high 35 points on an inefficient 8 of 25 from the field, 4 of 13 from beyond the arc and 15 of 21 from the free-throw line. Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds. Darius Garland, playing through a painful sprained big toe, limped to an 11-point night while missing 12 of his 16 shots.
The Cavs went just 38.9% from the field and 25.7% from deep.
The Pacers, with five players in double figures, were led by Haliburton who had 31 points and eight assists. Pascal Siakam chipped in with 21 points and eight rebounds. Steady shooting guard Andrew Nembhard contributed 18 points.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Atkinson said pointedly. “I think they presented a physical challenge. They have a particular style they play. I just give them so much credit for being able to sustain that type of intensity for so long. Now we’ve got to find a way to match it and we didn’t. They wore us down.”
Cleveland entered this season with championship aspirations. It won 64 games, 16 more than the previous season and second-most in franchise history. It spent most of the season with the league’s best mark, clinched a playoff berth in March and rewrote the record books.
But it was all for naught. And it’s over. Before anyone expected.
“We took a step in the right direction, but we didn’t win a championship and we didn’t complete the end goal,” Mitchell said. “There are no moral victories here. We just didn’t get the job done. We’re a good team. And for five, four games, three games, we didn’t show what we’re capable of. Ultimately, that’s what we’re judged on.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, Cavs starting small forward Max Strus said it was a win-at-all-cost game. He said the Cavs weren’t done yet.
They are now.
The same result. Another playoff flameout. A reputation that will follow them like a haunting shadow into a long summer.
A dream season that ended in a nightmare.
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