Cavaliers Defeat the Pacers 129-120 to Win a Playoff Spot

With a 129-120 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Jarrett Allen had 29 points and 13 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a postseason spot.

With 2:04 left, Pascal Siakam’s drive had pushed Indiana to 120-118, but Darius Garland countered with a 3-pointer over Siakam. The final six points were scored by the Cavaliers, highlighted by a three-pointer by Isaac Okoro that resulted in a backflip.

The Pacers, who can still make the playoffs with a win or a loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, have Tyrese Haliburton (19 points and 12 assists), Siakam (19 points), and Myles Turner (17 points). It was Indiana’s third straight victory.

Max Strus had seven points and nine assists in the game, while Garland and Caris LeVert both finished with 16 points. With Allen hitting 13 of 14 shots, Cleveland advanced to its first consecutive postseason since winning four NBA Finals in a row from 2015 to 2018.

With the potential to finish as high as second or as low as seventh in the East, the Cavaliers went into the night. Potential seeds for Indiana varied from third to eighth.

The teams in seventh and eighth place will compete in a play-in competition, while the top six teams go to the playoffs.

Indiana was within 97-94 heading into the fourth quarter thanks to nine points from Aaron Nesmith and eight from Haliburton in the third. Obi Toppin, a forward for the Pacers, hurt his left ankle during the period and did not play again.

The Cavaliers led 70-59 at the half after establishing a 14-point advantage in the second quarter. Allen finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Mitchell scored 18 points in just 18 minutes.