How Did Pacers Hold Cavs to Season-Low Points Output?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 3:34 PM ET

All season long, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the best team in the NBA. They entered Monday night's contest against the Indiana Pacers with a dominating 33-4 record, and left with a shocking loss, falling 108-93.

It was the first game all season that Cleveland failed to crack triple digits, and the Pacers, who are not known for their defense, were able to rest on their laurels after the game.

The Cavs have campaigned for their "Big Four" of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen to all make the All-Star Game. Garland was the only Cleveland player to crack 20 points, and the Cavs as a whole shot only 26.8 percent from 3-point range.

The Pacers were able to snag 11 steals and seven blocks, causing 13 turnovers. Cleveland uses two seven-footers, but the Pacers were able to win the rebounding battle 50-44.

After the game, Obi Toppin credited the Pacers for being "connected" with their unprecedented success on defense.

"We're just connected," said Obi Toppin. "I feel like everybody's locked into everything, the coaches are the same. And we're playing hard, we're playing with energy, and we're understanding each other, and everybody's just in the right place at the right time."

Indiana will have a day of rest on Monday before playing the Cavaliers again on Tuesday. If Indiana can walk out of Ohio with two wins, their odds of going on a deep playoff run should skyrocket, but no matter the result on Tuesday, it's hard to say that this road trip is anything other than a success.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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