Cavaliers down Pacers 117-108

The Cleveland Cavaliers used a dominant second half from their star backcourt to pull away from the short-handed Indiana Pacers, earning a 117–108 win Sunday night.

Donovan Mitchell caught fire after the break, scoring 23 of his 38 points in the second half while finishing an efficient 16-of-27 from the field to go along with six rebounds and six assists. James Harden added 28 points and seven assists, helping Cleveland overcome a slow start and seize control late.

Making his first start of the season, Thomas Bryant contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which rested key frontcourt players but still moved closer to securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Indiana, despite being severely depleted, showed resilience early. Jalen Slawson delivered a career-best 19 points, including four three-pointers, while Obi Toppin posted a season-high 21 points with eight rebounds. Micah Potter added a strong inside presence with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pacers, missing several key contributors including Pascal Siakam and Ben Sheppard, came out hot—knocking down eight three-pointers in the first half and building a 47–35 lead early in the second quarter. They carried a 58–55 advantage into halftime behind Potter’s interior scoring.

Cleveland didn’t take its first lead until the third quarter, but the game shifted decisively in the fourth. With the score tight, Nae’Qwan Tomlin drained a go-ahead three-pointer to put the Cavaliers up 99–96, igniting a run that eventually stretched the lead to 15 and put the game out of reach.

Now sitting comfortably in fourth place in the East, Cleveland is closing in on locking up home-court advantage, while Indiana—down to just nine available players—continues to battle through a difficult stretch near the bottom of the standings.

Up next: the Pacers return home to face Minnesota, while the Cavaliers head to Memphis before a key home-and-home set with Atlanta.