The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a heartbreaker in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, as Tyrese Haliburton sent them home after a game-winning three-pointer with seconds remaining. Haliburton was at the free-throw line to cut the Pacers’ deficit to one point, but he missed the second free throw, and he was able to get his own rebound.
From there, Haliburton brought the ball back out to reset, and hit a step-back three. After the game, Donovan Mitchell put the blame on himself for how the end of the game went.
“Cavs Donovan Mitchell was angry with himself over Indiana securing the offensive rebound that led to Tyrese Halliburton’s eventual game-winner. Mitchell says it’s his fault that the play went down like that,” reporter Evan Dammarell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
If anything, Mitchell was the player who almost led the Cavs to the win, as he finished with 48 points. The Cavs are now down 2-0 in the series, and they have to travel to Indiana for the next two games after dropping the first two at home. It’s an unfortunate situation for the Cavs to be in, especially with three of their key players dealing with injuries that led them to miss Game 2.
Cavs blow Game 2 after Pacers’ last-second heroics
Throughout the second round of the playoffs, it’s safe to say that no lead is safe. The Cavs suffered that same fate, as they had the lead for most of Game 2, and in the end, Haliburton hit the game-winning shot to give the Pacers the win. The Cavs are now down 2-0 in the series, and they need to answer a lot of questions going into Game 3.
Injuries have caught up to the Cavs in this series, as three of their key players are sidelined. Darius Garland has missed the first two games of the series because of a toe sprain, Evan Mobley missed Game 2 because of an ankle injury, and De’Andre Hunter missed Game 2 because of a dislocated finger.
The series is not over for the Cavs, and they still have the talent to steal two games on the road, similar to what the Pacers did to them. It won’t be easy, but getting the team back healthy will be key if they don’t want to fall down 3-0 in the series.
They will also have to erase the memory of Game 2 from their heads and focus on what’s ahead if they want a chance to win this series.
