The Indiana Pacers came to Cleveland and stole not just one, but two games, leaving the Cavaliers stunned, bruised, and now staring down a 0-2 series deficit. Tuesday night’s 120-119 thriller didn’t just feature a wild comeback or a 48-point Donovan Mitchell explosion—it featured Tyrese Haliburton limping through pain, launching a prayer, and ripping the Cavs’ hearts out with just over a second left on the clock.
But as the Pacers head back to Indiana with the chance to sweep, it’s Haliburton’s fate that’s hanging in the balance, not Cleveland’s.
In the second quarter, Haliburton went down holding his wrist after an awkward fall. He sprinted off the court without even attempting to defend the ensuing Cavs possession, clearly in serious pain. TNT’s sideline crew later confirmed he had X-rays done at halftime, though results weren’t revealed, and he came back out with his wrist taped heavily.
Somehow, despite the pain, Haliburton stayed in the game, had the wrist re-taped again in the third, and ended up hitting the shot that may define his postseason. Down by three with 12.1 seconds left, Haliburton missed a free throw, grabbed his own rebound, reset, and buried a cold-blooded step-back triple over Ty Jerome with 1.1 seconds to play.
Then came the trouble. As he walked toward his bench, Haliburton made the infamous ‘Big Balls’ celebration—a move that got LeBron James fined $15,000 in the past. Whether the NBA fines Haliburton remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: the wrist injury might not be done haunting him just yet.
The Pacers will be hoping his X-rays show nothing serious, because with the way he’s playing through pain and pressure, Indiana may have found their playoff leader.
Cleveland’s Collapse and Growing Concerns
This wasn’t just a game the Cavs let slip. It was a gut punch, and it might’ve changed the tone of the entire series. Cleveland led by 17 after the first quarter and pushed that margin to 20 twice. All this without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter—each of whom missed Game 2 with injury.
Mitchell was a man on fire. He had 21 at halftime, 36 through three, and finished with a staggering 48 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. He lived at the rim, hitting 17 of 21 free throws and shooting 50% from the field. But when it mattered most, Mitchell ran out of gas. A few late turnovers, defensive breakdowns, and missed opportunities allowed the Pacers to end the game on an 8-0 run over the final 57 seconds.
Now, the Cavaliers limp into Indianapolis without home-court advantage and no timeline for their three missing contributors. Mobley’s ankle sprain, Garland’s toe issue, and Hunter’s dislocated thumb (which came after what should’ve been a foul on Bennedict Mathurin) are all clouded in mystery. Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson made it clear postgame that he felt two no-calls directly led to losing his players, especially venting over the Mathurin shove that left Hunter out of action.
The Pacers haven’t lost at home since April 11, and they now get to defend their floor with a chance to close out this series in four. Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith each poured in 23 in Game 2, while Bennedict Mathurin added 19 and shifted momentum late in the third. But everything still hinges on Haliburton, both as the engine of this offense and the emotional pulse of the team.
Whether that wrist lets him keep pushing the pace will determine if the Pacers coast to a sweep or face a resurgent Cleveland team somehow rejuvenated by desperation—and the possible return of its core players.
But for now, the Cavaliers are left wondering how they let two winnable games slip. And Tyrese Haliburton? He may have won the battle, but with that wrist injury, the war could be far from over.
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