CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers‘ playoff run has come to an end.
Facing elimination, the Cavs faltered in the second half and fell to the Indiana Pacers, 114-105, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, thereby ending the series.
Advertisement
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will face either the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points in the loss, though three key missed free throws in the final minutes played a part in the Cavs falling short, as he again falls short of moving past the second round of the playoffs.
Here are instant reactions and analysis from Game 5 between the Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to the during the first half of game five against the Indiana Pacers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers Game 5: Ryan Lewis’ instant reaction
Tyrese Haliburton will haunt the Cavaliers for the next several months. This Pacers offense just out-ran, out-shot, out-everything the Cavs yet again, even when Cleveland at one point held a 19-point lead. That was a common theme in this series, the Cavaliers running out to a big lead and the Pacers then running them out of the building. Donovan Mitchell expended every ounce of energy and played through a hurt ankle, but those three missed free throws will stay on his mind this entire summer, as it’s yet another season in which he doesn’t reach the conference finals. The Cavs had all of the ingredients for a deep playoff run, and almost none of the execution or shot-making ability during these five games. These Pacers really do represent an elite bullpen in baseball, something that can’t be fully unleashed during the regular season. This Indiana team might not be a 1-seed anytime soon, but they also might be the team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs. As the Cavs walked off the floor, they were angry and dejected. This one is going to hurt a lot more, considering they’ve talked about needing time, and a few years of chemistry, like many teams have before they went on runs recently. This year might have been it, but this early of an exit will sting that locker room for a long time.
Cavs vs Pacers Game 5: Nate Ulrich’s instant reaction
In an all-too-familiar theme of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cavs had control with a 19-point lead in the first half of Game 5, only to squander an opportunity to bury the Pacers in a must-win scenario for Cleveland at Rocket Arena. The Cavs led by 19 points when forward Evan Mobley made two free throws to give Cleveland a 44-25 lead with 8:10 left in the second quarter. For the rest of the second quarter, the Cavs were outscored 27-12. Then they were outscored 33-20 in the third quarter, resulting in an 85-76 deficit entering the fourth quarter. The Cavs didn’t play with the requisite intensity or fight to survive an elimination game. They lacked energy, physicality and force on defense for much of the night. They surrendered dunk after dunk after dunk in the third quarter, and the Pacers outscored them 18-8 in the paint during the quarter. Yes, the Cavs rallied to start the fourth quarter and cut their deficit to a point multiple times. But the energy needed to charge back comes at a cost. In the end, the Cavs failed to complete a comeback. For the top-seeded Cavs, losing 4-1 to the fourth-seeded Pacers in the second round of the playoffs is a major disappointment. The Cavs’ season ended a year ago in Game 5 of Round 2. This was supposed to be different, but they underachieved.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs vs Indiana Pacers Game 5 instant reactions, highlights