LOS ANGELES — The Indiana Pacers started hot and held on late to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-112, on Sunday (Monday in Manila), defeating the Eastern Conference top seeds on their home floor to open their NBA second-round playoff series.
Andrew Nembhard drilled five of Indiana's 19 three-pointers on the way to a team-high 23 points, and Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points and handed out 13 assists for the Pacers, who had six players score in double figures. "I thought we did a great job of starting the game the right way," said Haliburton, who had delivered the game-winner in the 119-118 overtime triumph that clinched the Pacers' first-round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Pascal Siakam scored 10 of his 17 points in the first quarter as Indiana took a 36-25 lead. The Pacers overcame a 33-point performance from Cavs star Donovan Mitchell and 17 turnovers of their own that led to 22 Cleveland points. Indiana led 64-58 at halftime and had pushed the lead to 12 before the Cavaliers clawed back.
Cleveland took their first lead since the first quarter on Evan Mobley's hook shot with 3:16 left in the third quarter, which put them up 85-84. Mobley added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the Cavaliers clearly missed All-Star point guard Darius Garland, who missed a third straight game with a sprained toe. They couldn't respond as Indiana put together a 15-4 scoring run to pull away again in the fourth quarter.
"We weathered the storm," Haliburton said. "I mean, they're the number one team in the conference. They've got an unbelievable crowd. So they got into it and were willing their way back into the game. We just had to find a way to grow the lead. We did it by getting stops, getting out running and just playing Pacers basketball."
Later Sunday, the Houston Rockets hosted the Golden State Warriors in a do-or-die game seven in their first-round series. The Rockets are trying to become just the 14th team to rally from 3-1 down to win an NBA playoff series.
The Warriors have the edge in experience. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have played in five game-sevens apiece while Jimmy Butler has played in four. But the Rockets boast veteran playoff experience in Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Dillon Brooks, along with plenty of youthful confidence from the likes of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jalen Green.
After back-to-back wins, 22-year-old Turkish center Sengun says there's no reason the Rockets can't win one more. "I don't think they've beaten us this series," he said. "We beat ourselves, missing free throws and easy shots. When we're locked in, we're locked in. We have all the talent in the world. There's no reason for us to lose this game."
The Indiana Pacers stunned the basketball world with a 121-112 road victory over the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The big caveat of that win, as so often happens in the playoffs, was the health of All-Star guard Darius Garland. The 6-foot-1 pro sat out with a moderate big toe sprain, missing his third straight playoff contest due to the injury. Sam Merrill drew the start in his stead.
The 25-year-old Garland hasn't been available since Cleveland's own 121-112 victory, in Game 2 of an eventual uncompetitive sweep over the Miami Heat on April 23. In that bout, Garland scored 21 points, passed for nine assists, and snagged a pair of rebounds. All-Star power forward Evan Mobley and sixth man forward De'Andre Hunter both suffered concerning ailments during Game 1.
Still, the defeat represented a big moment for Indiana, which hasn't been given much of a chance to do significant playoff damage — despite riding some injury luck all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals just last year with the same rotation. In the upset on Sunday, starting Pacers swingman Andrew Nembhard paced all Pacers scorers with a team-most 23 points, achieved on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor (5-of-6 from distance) and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe, along with six dimes. He also logged a +21 plus-minus.
Nembhard and fellow starting wing Aaron Nesmith have served as unsung heroes for Indiana for much of the last two seasons. But their ability to function as offensive release valves for the Pacers' two, more ball-dominant All-Stars, point guard Tyrese Haliburton and power forward Pascal Siakam, paired with their solid perimeter defense, makes them critical components of Indiana's success.
Nembhard's long-range sniping during these playoffs has been a massive X-factor. He's connecting on an insane 57.1 percent of 4.7 triple tries a night. Across the balance of his career, the 6-foot-5 third-year wing is averaging a career 51.1 percent 3-point percentage (on 3.8 long-range takes a game). Per Alex Golden of The Blue And Golden, that conversion rate isn't just really good — it's the best in playoff history.
Top 5 Players in 3PT% in ABA/NBA playoff history: — Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) May 6, 2025 1. Andrew Nembhard - 51.1% 2. Bob Hansen - 50.0% 3. Rui Hachimura - 48.4% 4. Meyers Leonard - 48.1% 5. Seth Curry - 46.7% Stats per Basketball Reference.
In fairness, Nembhard is also just 25, and playing in just his third season. But he has already appeared in 23 career playoff games, a not-too-shabby sum that represents a relatively respectable sample size. Perhaps he won't connect at 3-pointers at this level forever, but the fact that he's been so good early is encouraging. Do the Pacers' postseason chances hinge on Nembhard's historic success from distance? Maybe not, but they don't hurt.
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