Mitchell’s 38-Point Burst Slams the Door on Indiana

CLEVELAND — For three quarters, this one feels like it can swing either way. Indiana keeps matching punches, the lead flips 12 times, and the game reaches the final frame with Cleveland up just 90-91 after 36 minutes of pace, shot-making, and zero breathing room. Then Donovan Mitchell turns the lights on.

Mitchell is the engine, the shot-maker, and the finisher all in one stretch. He already has Cleveland within striking distance before the fourth, but once the Cavaliers need separation, he gives them exactly that. The defining sequence comes at 4:12, when Mitchell rises into a 24-foot running pullup three that pushes the lead to 111-102. It’s the kind of shot that doesn’t just score — it changes the feel of the building. Cleveland had been trying to create daylight all night. Mitchell creates it in one motion.

That bucket is the capstone to a vicious closing run. The Cavaliers open the fourth with a 15-0 burst that flips the game from a one-possession fight into a full-on control stretch, going from 92-94 to 106-96. James Harden helps fuel the separation with a 26-foot pullup three in the middle of the surge, then later gets downhill for a driving layup at 3:36 that stretches the margin to 113-102. Thomas Bryant adds a dunk off a Harden feed at 3:12, and suddenly Cleveland is playing in the open floor while Indiana is scrambling to keep up.

The game isn’t a blowout from the start, though Cleveland’s depth and shot creation eventually make it look like one. Indiana actually carries a narrow edge late in the first half and still leads after three, but the Cavaliers keep landing counterpunches whenever the Pacers threaten to pull away. Mitchell’s driving finger roll helps spark an 8-point Cleveland run in the second quarter, trimming a 39-51 deficit back to 47-51. That’s the first sign Cleveland can survive the Pacers’ pace and still dictate the game with talent. By the third quarter, the home team has steadied the ship just enough to set up the knockout.

And once Cleveland gets the stop-and-score rhythm rolling, the closing minutes are all about defense to go with the burst. Kennedy Ellis gets involved on both ends, first with a steal at 3:21, then with a driving layup at 1:52 to push the lead to 117-102. Cleveland also stacks up rim protection late, with C. Porter Jr. recording a block at 2:13 and another at 1:10, snuffing out any hope of a last-second Indiana rally. K. Brown’s late threes give the scoreboard a slightly more respectable shape, but the Cavaliers have already taken the air out of the game.

Mitchell finishes with 38 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in 33 minutes, shooting efficiently and controlling the closing stretch like a star who knew exactly when to strike. Harden adds 28 points and 7 assists, while Micah Potter’s 21 points and 12 rebounds give Cleveland a huge interior and second-effort presence. Obi Toppin chips in 21 points and 8 boards, and Thomas Bryant’s 14-point, 10-rebound double-double is a major part of the Cavaliers’ frontcourt edge. Indiana gets strong scoring from K. Brown, who finishes with 11 points, but the Pacers never find the answer once Cleveland’s fourth-quarter burst breaks the game open.

For Cleveland, this is the kind of win that matters in the standings and in tone. The Cavs show they can win a track meet, survive a tight road-game feel for three quarters, and then close with star power and defensive activity when it matters most. With the postseason picture tightening, a late-run win like this can carry real weight — especially when the next opponent has to now deal with a Cleveland group that just proved it can flip a close game into a decisive finish in a matter of minutes.