Hello, I’m Dan Gartland. Imagining the Cavs as a college squad, they’d likely be drilling free throw box-outs all day today.
In this edition of SI:AM:
Pacers create major challenge for Cavs
Baseball’s swiftest player
Self-inflicted issues in horse racing
A Week of Remarkable Turnarounds
The Indiana Pacers have shown incredible resilience. Not even a seven-point deficit in the last 60 seconds can deter them—having done so twice already.
On Tuesday, the Pacers secured a 2–0 series lead in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a thrilling Game 2 victory, highlighted by Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beating three-pointer. However, before Haliburton could become the hero, Indiana had to recover from a significant deficit.
Midway through the third quarter, the Pacers were trailing by 20 points, with the score at 81–61. They slowly began to cut down the lead, though the Cavs kept them at bay until the very end. With just 57 seconds left, Donovan Mitchell’s successful free throws pushed Cleveland’s lead to 119–112, but those would be the final points the Cavs managed to score.
In a disastrous final minute, the Cavs gave away five possessions due to three missed defensive rebounds and two turnovers. Haliburton delivered the final blow with a step-back three after snagging the rebound from his own missed free throw.
This postseason marks the second time the Pacers have erased a seven-point deficit in the final minute, previously achieving this in the decisive fifth game of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. According to ESPN, out of 1,643 teams trailing by at least seven points in the final minute of a playoff game since 1997–98 when the NBA started detailed play-by-play tracking, only one other team before this year’s Pacers managed a comeback. This postseason, Indiana has also become the first team to record multiple comebacks from 20-point deficits, according to NBA writer Keerthika Uthayakumar.
“We have a resilient group,” Haliburton remarked post-game. “We find ways to win. We never give up. We’re tested in battle as a group. We’ve been together for roughly two years now, and that continuity has really benefited us.”
Cleveland now faces the tough task of playing on the road, already down 2–0 in the series against a Pacers team buoyed by two dramatic comebacks within a week. Complicating matters, the Cavs are contending with several key injuries. Star point guard Darius Garland has been sidelined since the second game of their first-round series against the Miami Heat due to a toe injury. Evan Mobley, recently named NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, missed Game 2 with an ankle injury incurred in the series opener. Forward De’Andre Hunter, an important bench player, dislocated his thumb in Game 1 and was also absent on Tuesday.
Mitchell has shone in the first two games of the series, scoring 33 points in Game 1 and 48 in Game 2. However, Cleveland has struggled with offensive depth in Garland’s absence. Mitchell, too, is not without injuries, having been reported by TNT to be playing through a calf strain, though he stated post-game that sitting out was never considered.
Mitchell’s ability to score 48 points despite his condition should alleviate some concerns about his injury. Yet, the physicality of Tuesday’s game raises questions about potential lingering effects. After a hard fall caused by Aaron Nesmith’s extraordinary putback dunk that initiated the Pacers’ final 8–0 run, Mitchell stayed down for several moments. He was briefly substituted out, but coach Kenny Atkinson clarified it was due to cramping. While Mitchell’s injury does not seem too severe (it wasn’t severe enough to put him on the injury report), it’s definitely something to monitor. The same calf issue forced him to miss the final two games of Cleveland’s second-round loss to the Boston Celtics last season.
Sports Illustrated Highlights
• Stephanie Apstein presents an in-depth profile of Chandler Simpson, undisputedly the fastest man in baseball.
• Following the announcement that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not participate in the Preakness, Pat Forde discusses the need for horse racing to modernize its tight, outdated schedule.
• Gilberto Manzano evaluates the offseason moves for every team in the NFC South and NFC North.
• The Warriors triumphed over the Timberwolves, though Stephen Curry sustained a hamstring injury and is doubtful for Game 2.
• The Cowboys are reportedly securing receiver George Pickens from the Steelers.
• Here’s the complete lineup for the upcoming PGA Championship, with a few unexpected entries.
• Outfielder Teoscar Hernández is the latest Dodgers player to be placed on the injured list.
Top Five Highlights
… from last night:
5. A hilarious mistake by the White Sox that enabled the Royals to clinch a ninth-inning victory.
4. Austin Wells’s magnificent grand slam during the Yankees’ explosive 10-run inning.
3. Connor Brown’s slick maneuver for a breakaway goal in the Oilers’ victory over the Golden Knights.
2. Jaccob Slavin’s overtime game-winner for the Hurricanes in Game 1 against the Capitals.
1. Aaron Nesmith’s spectacular put-back dunk that sparked the Pacers’ comeback.
