The Cavs rallied from double-digits for the 16th time and posted a league-high 32nd double-digit win - defeating the Indiana Pacers, 115-105.
Down by as many as 11 points, the Cavs closed the first half on a 14-5 run to pull within two, 61-59. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 19 points in the first half, and stayed hot in the third quarter with 17 more. The Cavs still trailed by one after the third quarter as teams often traded buckets, but that all changed in the fourth. Cleveland used a 7-0 run to jump ahead 94-89 and never relinquished the lead. The Cavs forced six of the Pacers' 17 turnovers in the final frame and outscored the Pacers 29-18, led by Caris LeVert with eight of his 15. Finally, with Evan Mobley's dunk with 1:15 to go, the Cavs capped off a 68-42 advantage in the paint, and posted a game-high 14 point lead, 115-101.
Mitchell scored 40 points, his 12th such game this season and third straight. Evan Mobley recorded his 24th double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds (five offensive). Darius Garland added 20 points while Jarrett Allen chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds in his return from an injury. Bennedict Mathurin led all Pacers with 19 points while T.J. McConnell led all bench players with 16.
The Cavs (49-30) will face the Orlando Magic (34-44) for a two-game set in Orlando: the Cavs' final regular season road trip. The Cavs' magic number to clinch a first round homecourt advantage has shrunk to 1, but the New York Knicks' win against the Washington Wizards prevented a clinching scenario today. The Cavs are mathematically in play for the #3 seed with the Philadelphia 76ers' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, but they must win out, and the 76ers must lose out.