INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers rallied yet again to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning Game 5, 114-105, and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.
Point guard Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 31 points, and forward Pascal Siakam contributed 21 points as the Pacers eliminated the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams started slow from the floor before Cleveland began to heat up toward the end of the first quarter, building 12-point lead by the end of the opening frame.
The Cavaliers extended their advantage in the second quarter, taking a 19-point lead on two Evan Mobley free throws. Haliburton then made a 3-pointer to spark an Indiana rally. The Pacers finished the second quarter on a 27-12 run to trail by only four points at halftime.
Indiana continued the strong play in the third quarter, taking the lead on a Siakam 3-pointer three and a half minutes into the second half. Center Thomas Bryant’s back-to-back dunks put the Pacers up 73-65, forcing Cleveland to take a timeout. Indiana led by nine after three.
The Cavaliers got within one in the fourth on a Donovan Mitchell 3-pointer with just over five minutes to play, but Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard responded with a three off a Myles Turner offensive rebound. Haliburton put the Pacers up 104-97 on a three-point play to help seal the game.
The Pacers now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. The earliest the conference finals could start would be May 19.