Pacers 120-119 Cavaliers, who is the pillar of this game

On May 7, 2025, in the G2 of the NBA Playoff Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Indiana Pacers reversed the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 away, leading the series with a big score of 2-0. In the first quarter, the Cavaliers established a 10-point advantage with Mitchell's 12 points in a single quarter. Struce made three consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter to widen the gap to 20 points; in the third quarter, the Pacers Turner led the team to the 11-point gap, and Halliburton's key frontcourt rebound + three-pointer completed the final kill.

The two sides were in a tug-of-war at the beginning of the game, but Mitchell scored 12 points in the first quarter and led the Cavaliers to a 35-27 offensive. The second quarter became Struss's solo performance time. He made three three-pointers in a single quarter, and the Cavaliers led by 11 points in the first half. In the third quarter, the Pacers' inside double Tatna and Siakam killed the penalty area in succession, narrowing the gap to single digits. In the final quarter, the Pacers used the full-game pressing tactics, Nemhard sent 5 assists in a single quarter to connect the team, Halliburton grabbed a deadly frontcourt rebound in the last 1.3 seconds and made a three-pointer. This victory made the Pacers the first 2-0 away lead in the Eastern Conference No. 5 seed in the past decade, and the promotion balance of the series was completely tilted.

What wonderful performances did the Pacers vs. Cavaliers today? Let's take a look at the game data and you can see it at a glance.

Tyres Halliburton - point guard: Score: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block, shot 7-11, three-pointers 2-2, free throws 3-5

His performance today interprets what a cold-blooded killer is. If you only scored 9 points in the first three quarters, you will get 10 points in the last quarter, including winning three points. He used Turner cover to develop a unique offensive rhythm, and cracked the Cavaliers' switch to defense three mid-range throws. The defensive end contributed the most five rebounds in the playoffs, and the prediction of grabbing the frontcourt rebounds in the last 1.3 seconds is art. As the starting point of the team's tactical strategy, he sacrificed his personal data to activate the team's offense, with a positive and negative value of +11 in the game.

Aaron Nesmith Small Forward: Score: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks, shot 8-13, three-pointers 5-8, free throws 2-2

His performance today is a combination of offense and defense. On the offensive end, he turned into an outside turret, and made three consecutive open three-pointers on the left corner. He completed a difficult backward and two points when facing Okoro's defense in the third quarter. He built a wing barrier on the defensive end, blocked Mitchell's breakthrough and layup in the end of the second quarter, and interfered with Struz's two key three-point shots in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. What's even more amazing is his tactical execution. He created 5 free-cut opportunities through the bottom line cross cover, 3 of which were converted into scores, perfectly playing the role of a space-type forward.

Pascal Siakam Power Forward: Score: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 turnovers, 5-8 shots, 2-5 free throws, today's performance demonstrates the value of the champion striker. Facing the Cavaliers' contraction defense, he frequently supported the elbow area, and assisted Turner in the third quarter with two consecutive high and low posts. He showed his dreamy steps when he was playing in a low position, and Wade flew twice to complete his hook. On the defensive end, he took on the task of defending Allen, destroying the Cavaliers' six inside passes by going around the front defense, and successfully creating an offensive foul when replacing Mitchell in the critical round of the fourth quarter. However, the stability of the free throw is a hidden danger, and if two free throws are missed at the last moment, they almost ruined the victory.

Miles Turner Center: Score: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks and 1 steal, shot 8-17, 2-5 three-pointers, 5-6 free throws, 5-6, today's performance redefines the modern center. On the offensive end, he completed three pick-and-roll external three-pointers, and hit the buzzer-beating logo shot in the second quarter to boost morale. The defensive end built a no-fly zone, blocked Mitchell and Struz's breakthroughs in the third quarter, and interfered with Allen's all-in-one connection at the last moment of the fourth quarter and became the winner. What is even more commendable is the tactical axis effect. He made 14 points with his hand hand passing seven times at high positions, among which the fake cover for Halliburton's counter-running is a textbook.

Andrew Nemhard - Scorebacks: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 8 turnovers, 5-13 shots, 3-5 free throws, 1} His performance today was full of ambivalent beauty. As the team's actual ball handler, he gave 13 assists with a career-high playoff game, and made four consecutive breakthroughs in the second quarter to find the bottom corner shooter. However, eight turnovers exposed insufficient experience, and two crosses in the third quarter were intercepted by Merrill. On the defensive end, he made Mitchell make only 2 of 8 shots in the third quarter, causing Mitchell's offensive foul to be the turning point at the last moment. The 23-year-old defender is completing his transformation in pain.

Benedict Mathering - Best Sixth Man: Score: 19 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, shooting 6-10, three-pointers and 1-3, free throws 6-6

His performance perfectly interprets the attributes of microwave ovens today. The substitute came on the bench in the second quarter and scored 9 points in a row to stop the collapse trend. In the third quarter, he completed two baseline counter-running layups. On the defensive end, he assumed the heavy responsibility of misaligning defense against Struz. Although he had a clear height disadvantage, he limited the opponent's three-point shooting percentage to 33% through close-fitting entanglement. The big heart was shown in the critical round, and two breakthroughs in the fourth quarter caused fouls and all four free throws, with a plus-negative value + 8 championships on the bench.

When the camera swept across the Pacers bench, you will see Toppin imitating a plane gliding after hitting a key bottom corner three-pointer in the second quarter; although McConaughey scored a plain 4 points and 3 rebounds, he destroyed the Cavaliers twice in a row in the third quarter, beating his chest and roaring at the audience seat to ignite the morale of the whole team; even Shepard, who only made three minutes on the field, contributed a textbook offensive foul. This group of blue-collar players built a mobile Great Wall on the defensive end, causing the Cavaliers to 15 offensive fouls in the game, 5 of which directly led to ball rights conversion. They used tireless running to fill in the defensive loopholes in the starting lineup, truly interpreting the meaning of "bench bandits".