Haliburton’s Heroics Lift Pacers to Stunning Game 2 Win Over Cavs, Take 2-0 Series Lead

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss the Pacers win over the Cavaliers.

The Indiana Pacers secured a thrilling 120-119 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series last night. This dramatic win gave the Pacers a commanding 2-0 series lead.

The game was a rollercoaster, with Cleveland holding a seven-point lead in the final minute. However, the Pacers closed the game on an 8–0 run, capped by a clutch three-pointer from Tyrese Haliburton with just 1.1 seconds remaining. Haliburton finished with 19 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and was instrumental in the comeback.

Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith each contributed 23 points, with Nesmith shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Despite a heroic 48-point performance from Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers' late-game miscues—including an offensive foul and a critical turnover—proved costly. Cleveland's struggles from three-point range (11-of-39) also hindered their chances.

Indiana takes the home court advantage previously held by the Cavaliers as the series now shifts to Indianapolis, where the Pacers will look to extend their lead in front of their home crowd. Is Haliburton overrated? Are the Cavs overrated? Are the Pacers underrated? What went wrong for the Cavs? Did they run out of gas?