Ever felt like real life is starting to look a lot like NBA 2K on rookie mode? That feeling hit hard today—because what the Indiana Pacers did to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 felt straight out of a video game. By halftime, the scoreboard read 80-39. No, that’s not a typo. A 41-point lead—against the team that finished with the second-best record in the entire league this season. Anyone tuning in late likely had to double-check if it was a glitch.
But the shock didn’t end there. The Pacers didn’t just dominate—they made history while doing it.
According to reports, the Pacers have tied for the largest halftime lead in NBA postseason history with their 41-point lead. The other record was held by, ironically, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had a 72-31 advantage against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. Before that, the only other 40-plus-point halftime lead in the NBA playoffs was recorded back in 1987, when the Detroit Pistons held a 76-36 advantage over the Washington Bullets. The Pistons went on to win that game with a 128-85 score.
If this feat wasn’t enough to brag about, the Pacers also set a franchise-postseason record for points in a half (80 PTS) AND an NBA postseason record in assists (25 AST) in a half in the play-by-play era. Seems like Tyrese Haliburton and co are on a mission to prove that there is always a bigger bully on the playground. This time, it’s them, and not the Cavs.
The Pacers are up 41 points at halftime.
That’s tied for the largest halftime lead in a playoff game in NBA history pic.twitter.com/e8EzhvOtHM
— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 12, 2025
This is a developing story.
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