Mitchell erupts for 43 as Cavaliers dominate Pacers to take Game 3

Donovan Mitchell delivered a 43-point masterpiece to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.

With the win, Cleveland avoided falling into a 3-0 hole and reclaimed control behind its star guard’s scoring burst and a return to full strength.

Mitchell shot 14-of-29 from the field, including five 3-pointers, and added nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

After Indiana cut a 24-point deficit to 104-93 early in the fourth, Mitchell hit a fadeaway, buried a pull-up three, and assisted Max Strus on another long-range shot to end the Pacers’ momentum.

Cleveland opened the night with all three key injured contributors — Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter — back in the rotation.

That depth showed as the Cavaliers led for the final three quarters and used a 25-4 second-quarter run to turn a 36-36 tie into a commanding 66-45 halftime lead.

Strus contributed 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Mobley controlled the interior with 18 points and 13 boards.

Jarrett Allen added 19 points and 12 rebounds, as Cleveland finished with a 56-37 edge on the glass and outscored Indiana 28-13 in second-chance points.

The Pacers were led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 23 points off the bench, but All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton struggled, finishing with just four points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Indiana committed 13 turnovers and received five technical fouls in the most physical game of the series.

Despite 18 points from Pascal Siakam and 15 from Myles Turner, Indiana failed to match Cleveland’s intensity after the opening quarter.

Haliburton, who had never lost a home playoff game in his career before Friday, tallied just five assists and was held without a three-point attempt until late.

The Cavaliers shot 42 percent overall and hit 14 threes, while holding the Pacers to 43.8 percent shooting and only nine made 3-pointers.

Game Recap: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104

The road team has won every game in the series so far, and the Pacers will try to reverse that trend in Sunday’s Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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