INDIANAPOLIS (WE) — The momentum in the Eastern Conference Semifinals swung hard back in favor of the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, as they unleashed one of the most dominant playoff first halves in NBA history. Fueled by scorching-hot shooting, intense defense, and a raucous home crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers dismantled the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The tone was set early and emphatically by the Pacers, who raced to a 38-23 lead after the first quarter and built a stunning 41-point halftime cushion — tying an NBA playoff record — behind a relentless offensive barrage. With Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Obi Toppin each scoring 20 or more points through the first three quarters, Indiana regained control of the series after a lackluster Game 3.
Let’s break down this historic performance quarter by quarter.
1st Quarter: Pacers 38, Cavaliers 23 — Intensity Boils Early
The Pacers emerged from the tipoff with fire in their eyes and focus in their execution. Running crisp offensive sets and pushing the pace in transition, Indiana led by as many as 19 points in the opening period.
However, Game 4 didn’t take long to turn physical.
A brief scuffle broke out with 4:26 left in the first quarter when Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin and Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter exchanged words and shoves following a hard foul. After a video review, Mathurin was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game just 7½ minutes in — a shocking development given his importance to Indiana’s playoff offense.
Despite Mathurin’s early departure, the Pacers didn’t blink.
Tyrese Haliburton, who struggled mightily in Game 3, orchestrated the offense early. Turner nailed two threes in the first quarter, while Siakam established himself in the paint. Indiana finished the quarter shooting over 60% from the field, while the Cavs stumbled to a meager 36%.
Cleveland’s top scorers — Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland — were mostly quiet in the opening frame. The Cavaliers appeared sluggish and out of sync, a troubling sign for a team needing a win to reclaim home-court advantage.
Halftime: Pacers 80, Cavaliers 39 — History in the Making
What transpired in the second quarter was nothing short of historic.
The Pacers erupted for 42 second-quarter points, fueled by an outrageous 60% shooting mark from the field and a 19-2 run to end the half. Cleveland, in contrast, managed just 16 points in the frame and trailed by 41 points at halftime — tying the all-time record for largest halftime deficit in NBA postseason history, per Sportradar.
Turner, who had been relatively quiet in previous games, shined brightest in the first half, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range. Toppin chipped in 13 points off the bench in just 11 minutes of action, electrifying the crowd with dunks and corner threes.
Siakam anchored both ends of the floor, finishing the half with 14 points and 5 rebounds, while Haliburton dished out five assists despite shooting just 1-for-4 from the field.
The Pacers’ dominance was apparent in nearly every statistical category at the break:
- Field Goal %: Indiana 60% (30-for-50), Cleveland 35.7%
- Three-Point Shooting: Indiana 60% (12-for-20), Cleveland 26.3% (5-for-19)
- Bench Points: Indiana 24, Cleveland 11
Even more impressive, the Pacers never trailed in the first half. Not for a second.
3rd Quarter: Pacers 109, Cavaliers 77 — Garland Fights, Mitchell Exits
Cleveland showed signs of life early in the third quarter, led by Garland, who added 13 of his team-high 21 points in the frame. But it wasn’t enough.
The Pacers continued to pour it on.
Siakam increased his tally to 21 points and 6 rebounds before taking a seat late in the third quarter. Turner and Toppin each reached the 20-point mark as well, showcasing Indiana’s exceptional balance and depth.
Meanwhile, disaster struck for Cleveland when Donovan Mitchell left for the locker room midway through the third quarter. The All-Star guard reportedly aggravated a left ankle injury and was listed as doubtful to return. He did not reappear in the second half and finished with 17 points in 22 minutes.
Read More: Thunder Surge Late to Tie Series 2-2 Against Nuggets in Defensive Game 4 Grind
After the game, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed that Mitchell would undergo an MRI on Monday.
Without Mitchell, Cleveland struggled to generate consistent offense, and Indiana extended its lead to 32 points entering the final period.
Final: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109 — Statement Win for Indiana
Though the final margin of 20 points didn’t reflect the full extent of Indiana’s dominance, there was no doubt who controlled the tempo, rhythm, and effort from start to finish.
The win marked an emphatic response to Game 3’s disappointment, in which Cleveland had throttled Indiana 121-99, dominating the glass and holding Haliburton to four points.
This time, the Pacers flipped the script.
Despite Haliburton’s muted scoring (just 6 points on 2-for-8 shooting), his playmaking and pace control allowed others to flourish. Siakam, acquired midseason from the Toronto Raptors, looked every bit the seasoned postseason star Indiana hoped for.
“We came out with the energy and the attitude we needed,” said Siakam postgame. “We were embarrassed last game. We wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again, especially in front of our fans.”
The Game 4 win places Indiana one victory away from its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014, when the team, then led by Paul George, fell to LeBron James‘ Miami Heat.
A Historic Halftime Lead
The 41-point halftime advantage Indiana held ties the all-time NBA playoff record, originally set by the Cavaliers themselves in 2017 when they led the Boston Celtics 72-31 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With this performance, the Pacers also became just the 10th team in NBA playoff history to score 80 or more points in a half, according to Basketball Reference.
Coincidentally, the only other team to do so this week was the Oklahoma City Thunder, who scored 87 points in the first half of their Game 2 win against the Denver Nuggets.
Key Player Stats – Indiana Pacers
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal Siakam | 21 | 6 | 2 | 9-15 | 2-3 |
| Myles Turner | 20 | 4 | 1 | 7-11 | 4-4 |
| Obi Toppin | 20 | 5 | 3 | 8-10 | 2-2 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 6 | 3 | 7 | 2-8 | 1-4 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 12 | 4 | 1 | 5-9 | 1-2 |
Key Player Stats – Cleveland Cavaliers
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Garland | 21 | 3 | 4 | 7-16 | 3-7 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 17 | 2 | 2 | 6-14 | 2-6 |
| Jarrett Allen | 10 | 6 | 2 | 4-6 | 0-0 |
| Evan Mobley | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3-9 | 0-1 |
What’s Next: Game 5 in Cleveland
The series now shifts back to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Game 5 on Tuesday night, where the Pacers have a chance to close out the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavaliers face enormous pressure — not just to defend home court, but potentially to do so without their leading scorer.
Coach Atkinson said postgame:
“We’ve got to regroup. We’ve been a resilient team all year, and we’ll need every ounce of that to extend this series.”
Indiana, meanwhile, will look to replicate the tenacity and fire that led to this Game 4 dismantling.
Takeaways:
- Indiana’s Depth: With five players scoring in double figures and 42 bench points, the Pacers showed that even without Mathurin, they can generate offense from multiple sources.
- Turner’s Breakout: After uneven performances earlier in the playoffs, Turner’s 4-for-4 night from deep could signal a dangerous wrinkle for future matchups.
- Mitchell’s Health: The ankle injury casts a dark cloud over Cleveland’s comeback hopes.
- Haliburton’s Control: Despite scoring just six points, Haliburton dictated pace and spread the ball efficiently — exactly what Indiana needed.
