The Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-116, in the Group Stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Friday.

The Pacers (3-2) moved over the .500 mark once again and did it by their strong play in the first half. Indiana showed control of the contest early on and raced to a 36-26 lead over the Cavaliers (2-4), perhaps signaling this would be an easy matchup. The Pacers boosted their lead even further and were up by 17 points at the halftime break following a 34-27 score in the second half. However, the Cavaliers played the second half aggressively and with an entirely different attitude. The Cavaliers came close to mounting a massive comeback but reduced the 17-point deficit to just one point after outscoring the Pacers 34-18 in the third quarter. The final 12 minutes were a back-and-forth affair, and the Cavaliers even held the lead at times. However, the Pacers reacted in the final six minutes and prevented the disaster, outscoring the Cavs 33-29 in the fourth and sealing a five-point win tighter than the score indicated.

Myles Turner led the Pacers in scoring after scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds, but he also chipped in with two steals and two blocks. Bruce Brown had 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Tyrese Haliburton recorded an 18-point, 13-assist double-double, but he also chipped in with two rebounds and two steals. Buddy Hield contributed 14 points and five rebounds coming off the bench. Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith posted matching 13-point, five-rebound performances despite not starting.

Donovan Mitchell was unstoppable for the Cavaliers and finished with 38 points, nine assists, five rebounds and a steal. Max Strus had 10 points, same as Jarrett Allen, though Allen also had seven boards and two blocks. Evan Mobley recorded a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double that also added five assists, four blocks and three steals. Darius Garland recorded 14 points and six assists. Caris LeVert had 13 points off the bench.