Cavaliers Game 5 recap, highlights as Cleveland's season ends
CLEVELAND — The 2024-25 Cavaliers had their season end at the exact same point of the NBA playoffs in which it concluded a year ago — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Suffering a 4-1 defeat in a best-of-seven, second-round playoff series is a major disappointment for the top-seeded Cavs.
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In a must-win Game 5, the Cavs lost 114-105 to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena. Last year, the Cavs fell 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in Round 2.
Here is how Cavs versus Pacers unfolded through our updates:
Cavs lose to Pacers 114-105 in Game 5 of Eastern Conference semifinals, ending Cleveland's season in the second round of the NBA playoffs
Although the Cavs rallied to start the fourth quarter and cut their deficit to a point multiple times, the energy needed to charge back caught up with them, and they failed to finish the comeback.
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed three consecutive free throws with 1:49 left. He subsequently made a 3-pointer to cut the Cavs' deficit to 106-103 with 1:27 left.
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Yet, the Pacers responded with an 8-2 run.
Playing through a sprained ankle, Mitchell scored a game-high 35 points, followed by forward Evan Mobley with 24 points.
Guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, followed by forward Pascal Siakam with 21.
Cavs season ends: Cavaliers disappoint, underachieve in NBA playoffs and must adapt, evolve in offseason | Ulrich
Cavs behind 104-97 with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter
In need of a quick turnaround to save their season, the Cavs trailed 104- 97 with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter.
After guard Donovan Mitchell made a 3-pointer to cut Cleveland's deficit to 98-97 with 5:03 left, guards Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton produced a 3-pointer and a three-point play, respectively. The six points put Indiana ahead by seven points with 4:23 left. The Cavs trailed by the same deficit during a timeout with 2:38 remaining.
Cavs rally to begin the fourth quarter and cut their deficit to 87-86 with 9:24 left vs. Pacers
The Cavs came out swinging to begin the fourth quarter and went on a 10-2 run.
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A 3-pointer and missed free throw by wing De'Andre Hunter led to an offensive rebound by forward Evan Mobley and a layup by point guard Darius Garland on an assist by Hunter. The sequence accounted for five Cleveland points and cut Indiana's lead to 87-86 with 9:24 remaining.
The Pacers had led by nine points heading into the final quarter.
Cavs, Pacers Game 5 score: Indiana leads by 9 entering fourth quarter
After a dominant third quarter, the Pacers are taking an 85-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers have 12 minutes to overcome a nine-point deficit and save their playoff lives for another few days.
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The Cavs offense had nothing going in that third quarter. Cleveland shot just 7-for-26 from the floor, while the Pacers shot better than 50 percent (14-for-22) and hit half their 3s.
Again, it's beginning to look like the Pacers' speed and movement on offense is wearing down the Cavaliers.
Ty Jerome hits two 3s; Pacers lead Cavs late in third quarter
Ty Jerome has finally showed up in this series, and maybe just in the nick of time to give the Cavs some life.
Jerome has been statistically almost unplayable through the first four games of this series. He didn't even play in the first half tonight.
After checking in two minutes ago, Jerome has hit two 3s, making it an 80-71 Pacers lead with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
Donovan Mitchell walks into tunnel, then returns; Pacers on 23-5 run
Star guard Donovan Mitchell walked off the floor and down the tunnel toward the Cavaliers locker room with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Just before then, he grimaced on the court.
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Mitchell returned to the bench a minute or two later.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers offense has simply been stopped in its tracks. The Cavs are an ice-cold 3-for-20 from the floor in this third quarter, and the Pacers have used that to get their offense on the move a bit faster, which has led to a 23-5 run and a 75-65 Indiana lead.
Pacers take lead over Cavs in third quarter of Game 5
The process of the Pacers slowly chipping away at the Cavaliers' double-digit lead is now complete, and Indiana leads Game 5, 65-64, with 7:04 left in the third quarter.
Tyrese Haliburton is directing traffic beautifully and drained a key 3 to close the gap to two points. Pascal Siakam then corralled a loose ball the next time down the floor, turned around and buried a go-ahead 3-pointer. He already has six points in the quarter.
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The Pacers are again driving the game with "force." And after Siakam's 3, Haliburton looked to the crowd and yelled.
Donovan Mitchell had a moment that could be described as strange earlier in the quarter. He came away with a steal and had several steps on Myles Turner. As he neared the basket, Mitchell slowed his pace, and just went for a casual layup that allowed Turner to catch up and block him from behind. Mitchell has missed all three of his shot attempts in the third quarter thus far.
LeBron James weighs in on Tyrese Haliburton, Cavs vs Pacers Game 5
Tyrese Haliburton was so scorching hot in that second quarter that he has the attention of the NBA world. That includes LeBron James, who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Haliburton's run that has the Pacers within four points of the Cavs at halftime.
Cavs lead Pacers 56-52 at halftime after Indiana spent most of the second quarter rallying
The Cavs led the Pacers 56-52 at halftime, but Indiana had to be pleased with the way it ended the first half.
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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 remainder of the first half, the Pacers outscored the Cavs 27-12.
Guard Tyrese Haliburton made three consecutive 3-pointers during the Pacers rally. He went 5-of-5 shooting on 3s in the second quarter, scoring 15 of his 17 first-half points.
Guard Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 16 points in the first half, followed by Evan Mobley with 14.
Pacers use 16-4 run to slice Cavs' lead to 48-41 with 4:36 left in the second quarter
A 3-pointer by guard Tyrese Haliburton allowed the Pacers to cut their deficit to 48-41 with 4:37 left in the second quarter. The shot came amid a 16-4 run by the Pacers.
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The Cavs had led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter.
In Game 5 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers cut their deficit to 44-31 with back-to-back 3-pointers
The Pacers were behind 44-31 after guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Aaron Nesmith made 3-pointers with 7:55 and 7:02 left in the second quarter. The Cavs responded with a timeout.
Haliburton hadn't made a field goal until 7:55 left in the second quarter.
With 8:10 left in the second quarter, Pacers forward Obi Toppin picked up his third foul, matching Cavs small forward Max Strus, who was called for his third foul with 9:24 remaining in the first half.
Cavs lead Pacers 42-25 with 8:22 left in the second quarter
The Cavs led the Pacers 42-25 with 8:22 left in the second quarter, matching Cleveland's largest advantage of Game 5 thus far.
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Cavs wing De'Andre Hunter scored the first five points of the second quarter with a fast-break layup and a 3-pointer. He added another layup with 8:43 left, giving the Cavs a 42-25 lead.
After the Pacers turned the ball over with a low pass by guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana used a timeout with 8:22 remaining in the first half while trailing by 17 points.
Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley both in double figures after first quarter of Game 5 vs Pacers
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley have dominated the ball for the Cavs on offense thus far, and Cleveland will take a 31-19 lead into the second quarter.
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Mitchell has a game-high 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting from the floor. Again, he's getting into the paint almost whenever he wants, like in Game 2. Though there's a question of just how often he can take hard contact like that.
Mobley has 10 points and four rebounds after the first quarter and has been put into ISO a few times against Myles Turner.
At the end of the quarter, Isaac Okoro committed a pretty egregious mistake, somehow fouling Tyrese Haliburton as he attempted a half-court heave just before the buzzer. It resulted in a free two points for the Pacers, as Haliburton sank two of the three freebies.
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Cavaliers extend lead in Game 5 over Pacers; Donovan Mitchell OK after hard fall
Jarrett Allen just came away with a quick steal and a few seconds later received a pass from Donovan Mitchell and threw down a reverse, two-handed dunk, and the Cavs have a 21-12 led with 2:59 left in the first quarter. Allen has six points and three rebounds.
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A few possessions earlier, Mitchell went up for a dunk but couldn't complete it while being fouled. He hit the floor pretty hard but appears to be OK, aside from the frustration of not finishing the dunk. He has seven points.
And after the Pacers hit everything in Game 4, they haven't looked nearly as comfortable and are just 5-for-17 to start Game 5, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
Cavs fans booing Bennedict Mathurin in Game 5 vs Pacers
The Cavliers fans at Rocket Arena are mercilessly booing Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin every time he touches the ball. Around the midpoint of the first quarter, Mathurin caught a pass, was booed, and pushed off of Darius Garland, resulting in an offensive foul call against him. The crowd went ballistic cheering the call.
Cavs, Pacers Game 5 score: Cleveland takes early lead; Donovan Mitchell 1-for-4 to start
The Cavs have taken an 11-8 lead nearly midway through the first quarter.
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Evan Mobley has been active, already with six points and two rebounds inside the paint. Mobley scored the Cavs' first points in Game 4 but was then quiet the rest of the night, along with most of the Cavs lineup.
Donovan Mitchell appears to be moving around as normal so far. He's 1-for-4 from the floor with three points.
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, who was ejected from Game 4 due to his altercation with De'Andre Hunter, checked into the game to a chorus of boos from the Cleveland crowd. Hunter checked into the game at roughly the same time.
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) warms up before game five between the Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Cavaliers, Pacers score update in Game 5
It has been immediately evident that Game 5 is going to be a hard-fought, defensive, physical game, as both offenses are a bit slow, and every possession has been slowed down a bit. There's quite a bit of holding, grabbing and shouldering going on.
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With just under eight minutes to go in the first quarter, the Pacers are up 6-4. There hasn't been much scoring yet.
And Rocket Arena is extremely loud. Cleveland is already gaining a reputation as one of the loudest NBA playoff venues, but just about every play early in the first quarter has had the feel of a late-fourth-quarter game winner. The energy in the arena already has a sense of urgency to it.
Below is some pregame information.
Cavs injury report today. Will Donovan Mitchell play in Game 5?
The Cavs made it official about 25 minutes before tip-off that All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was available and would start Game 5. Mitchell missed the second half of Game 4 with a left ankle sprain.
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On Monday, May 12, ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported Mitchell was "expected to be a game-time decision" for Game 5.
Though, while the team received good news surrounding Mitchell, the Cavs will be without guard Sam Merrill, who is sidelined with a neck strain. That could test the Cavs' depth at guard considering Ty Jerome has had a pretty brutal series.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) defends during Game 4 of a second-round playoff series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Donovan Mitchell takes part in Cavs Game 5 shootaround
Donovan Mitchell participated in shootaround at Cleveland Clinic Courts roughly 8 hours before Game 5.
'We don't know anything about Donovan," Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland said at shootaround. "It's a game-time decision at this point, so I'll see the same time y'all see.'
Pacers injury report today
The Pacers ruled out forward Isaiah Jackson (right Achilles tendon tear).
How to watch Cavs game tonight: TV channel, streaming, radio info for Game 5 vs. Pacers
Game 5 can be watched nationally on TNT. It can be heard on the radio via WMMS (100.7-FM) and WTAM (1100).
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, left, is defended by Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Pacers vs. Cavs last game
The Cavs were crushed in a wire-to-wire Game 4 loss. They trailed 80-39 at halftime. The 41-point margin tied the largest halftime differential in NBA playoff history.
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The Cavs were a mess on offense, losing the turnover battle 22-10, and torched on defense, with the Pacers shooting 52.7% (49 of 93) from the field, including 42.9% (15 of 35) on 3-pointers. The 3-2 zone Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson deployed so well in Game 3 proved to be vulnerable with the Pacers attacking the middle of the defense.
The Cavs never led. They scored a season-low 39 points in the first half, and the 20-point loss matched their largest margin of defeat this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) challenges a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
What is the playoff history between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers?
In the playoffs, the Cavs are 10-9 against the Pacers. The record includes Cleveland's losses in Game 1 and Game 2, its win in Game 3 and its defeat in Game 4 this year.
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Here is a breakdown of the previous three series the two teams have shared:
2018 : LeBron James and the Cavs got past the Pacers in the first round, but it took seven games. The Cavs ultimately were swept 4-0 by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
2017 : Coming off Cleveland's 2016 NBA title and led by James, the Cavs swept the Pacers 4-0 in the first round. The Cavs eventually lost 4-1 to the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
1998: The Cavs fell 3-1 to the Pacers in Round 1. The Pacers were eventually eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordan and the Bulls then beat the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the NBA Finals.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoves Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter during an altercation involving the Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Cavs playoff schedule: Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Pacers
Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavs 112 | Recap | Column | Story
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavs 119 | Recap | Column | Story
Game 3: Cavs 126, Pacers 104 | Recap | Column | Story
Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavs 109 | Recap | Column | Story
Game 5: Pacers at Cavs — 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, TNT
Game 6: Cavs at Pacers — time TBD, Thursday, May 15 (if necessary), ESPN
Game 7: Pacers at Cavs — time TBD, Sunday, May 18 (if necessary), TV TBD
Cavs playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Game 4 instant reaction in Eastern Conference semifinals
NBA playoff bracket: Eastern Conference first round
NBA playoff bracket: Eastern Conference second round
No. 1 seed Cavaliers vs. No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers (Cleveland trails series 3-1)
No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 seed New York Knicks (New York leads series 3-1)
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs score tonight, Game 5 recap; Pacers end Cavaliers' season
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