The Cleveland Cavaliers moved to 2-1 in NBA Cup play with a 120-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers. The Cavs used a lengthy sprint in the third quarter to hold onto a lead they would never lose following a tough endurance race in the first half.
Donovan Mitchell caught fire in the second half on his way to 32 points and five assists. Pascal Siakam, who is notching a career-best 24.7 points per game with the Pacers this year, finished the night with 26 points.
The Pacers, who were missing a number of options heading into the division battle, still kept the Cavs in check in the first half behind the efforts of some of its more notable names from the 2025 NBA Finals.
Cleveland played without center Jarrett Allen, who was ruled out with a right finger strain. The Cavs gave Jaylon Tyson a starting nod, while Mobley took on the five spot in Allen’s stead. The young star paired with guard Darius Garland, who returned to Cleveland’s starting lineup after missing the team’s last five matchups. He would add 20 points and seven assists in about 27 minutes of play.
Nov 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Garrison Matthews (24) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
While they couldn’t get their long-range attack going early, the Cavs fought through early pressure to claim buckets the hard way with contested drives and tries from the paint. The Pacers countered with plenty of buckets of their own, never letting the Cavs run away with the lead before Cleveland’s newfound brand of bully ball finally gave way to a more mixed game plan in the half court.
The Cavs still ended the night with 50 points in the paint, which put them on par with their average of just over 46 paint points per game this season. The mark put them at 24th in the league heading into the Cup game, a stark turnaround from their 9th-place spot just one season before.
Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard, now in his fourth season with the team, all but willed the Pacers back into contention with a nearly-endless string of tough plays in the first quarter.
The former Gonzaga guard proved to be a catalyst on offense for a Pacers squad in need of a spark plug even after their Wednesday win over the Charlotte Hornets. He would end the game with 32 points and eight assists.
While a different Cavalier would torch the basket in every quarter, from Mobley in the first to Mitchell in the third, the Cavs as a whole would finally pull away in the second half with a combined effort from its starting unit and bench crew alike.
Tyson, who headed into tonight’s matchup with seven starts this season, caught fire from the opening tip as he earned his seventh game in double figures this year. The second-year guard remained perfect from the floor well into the third quarter, when he knocked down two 3-pointers and a layup to push Cleveland’s lead close to double digits.
The Cavs entered the game with an even 1-1 split in their first two NBA Cup matchups. Cleveland earned a dominant win over the Washington Wizards, who faced off against the Toronto Raptors in an NBA Cup game of their own on Friday, a week after the Cavs fell to the Raptors in an 11-point home loss. The Cavaliers ended their 2024 Group C campaign with a 2-2 record, which included a loss to the Atlanta Hawks and a win over the Wizards.
The Pacers, who nearly claimed the first-ever NBA Cup in 2023, fell to 0-2 before facing the Raptors themselves next week.
The Cavaliers will end their six-game home stand with a Sunday matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sunday standoff will tip off at 6:00 p.m. in Rocket Arena. It will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.