Pacers mount 19-point comeback to bounce Cavs, reach East finals

The Indiana Pacers advanced to their second straight Eastern Conference finals with a 114-105 victory over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Indiana mounted a 19-point comeback across the second and third quarters.

Cleveland brought its deficit to within a single point in the fourth quarter but was outscored 27-19 in the last 9:24.

Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana in scoring with 31 points, adding eight assists and six rebounds. All of the starting lineup scored in double figures, with Pascal Siakam contributing 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.

Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points in the defeat. He shot 8-of-25 from the field but went 15-of-21 from the free-throw line. Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Pacers won all three games in Cleveland, including the first two of the series.

"Very excited for our fans, our ownership, and our city," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, according to NBA reporter Scott Agness. "Winning a close-out game on the road is extremely difficult."

The Cavaliers won 64 games in the regular season, second most in franchise history. Kenny Atkinson won Coach of the Year, while Mobley earned Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland swept the Miami Heat in the opening round.

Indiana made the Eastern Conference finals last season, beating the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks before losing to the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

The Pacers defeated the Bucks in the first round and will now face either the Celtics or Knicks for a spot in the NBA Finals.