Tyrese Haliburton Shocks Cleveland with Game Winner; Buddy Hield Big Time Again For Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers led for most of Tuesday night’s Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers, but did not secure a rebound when they needed to before Indiana Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton drilled a step-back triple to win the game 120-119 and take a 2-0 series lead back to Indianapolis. 

Cleveland led 32-15 after one quarter and led 98-84 after three quarters, but the Pacers blitzed the Cavaliers for 36 fourth quarter points. 

With two minutes remaining in the game, the Cavaliers had a 113-106 lead, until Pascal Siakam drove in transition and finished a layup off the glass where he was fouled by Donovan Mitchell. Siakam missed the free-throw, and Mitchell at the other end maneuvered inside and drew a foul on Aaron Nesmith with a jump hook attempt. Mitchell, who for the game scored 48 points (9 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals), made one of two. Haliburton drove on Jarrett Allen for a layup. 114-110 Cavaliers with 1:24 to go. 

On the next Cavalier possession, Mitchell, double-teamed, found Max Strus for a wing triple. With 1:06 remaining, the Cavaliers led 117-110 but would be outscored 10-2 over the remaining minute and change. Haliburton drove and finished again, and the Cavaliers called a timeout. 

Mitchell, who finished the game 17-for-21 from the line, was fouled with 57.6 seconds remaining, and made both free-throws. 119-112. 

Siakam, fouled at the other end, made two free-throws. 119-114. 47.9 seconds remaining. Then the Cavaliers unraveled. 

Mitchell, catching the inbound pass, turned to go up the floor and ran into Nesmith, catching the forward with an elbow for an offensive foul. Siakam drove and converted a layup. 119-116. 27.5 seconds remaining. 

On the next Cavalier possession out of their timeout, Andrew Nembhard stole the ball from Ty Jerome. Haliburton was fouled with 12.1 seconds remaining and went to the line.

The point guard made the first, and missed the second. As the ball deflected off the rim, the Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen seemed to be in position, hands up and reaching for the ball, to secure the rebound. However, Mitchell also went for the rebound, and Myles Turner back-tapped the ball which Haliburton recovered before retreating to the 3-point line. With the ball near the logo and 7.3 seconds on the clock, Haliburton took a dribble right against Ty Jerome, went through his legs and crossed over right to left. The guard took two more steps forward before stepping back, creating the space needed to elevate. 

Good. With 1.1 seconds remaining and no timeouts, a desperation shot from halfcourt from Jerome did not reach the basket. 

In shocking fashion and in strikingly similar fashion to Aaron Gordon’s three and the finish just 24 hours earlier in the Denver Nuggets’ win in Game 1 over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pacers had stormed back. 

Nesmith (8-for-13, 5-for-8 from deep) and Myles Turner (23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blockson 8-for-17) led the Pacers in the scoring department, while Haliburton finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds (7-for-11), and 4 assists and Bennedict Mathurin also scored 19 (6-for-10, 6-for-6 free-throws), off of the bench. 

Nembhard was 5-for-13 shooting but put up 13 points and 13 assists and 7 rebounds. Siakam contributed 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. 

Mitchell’s 48 led the Cavaliers, but despite going 15-for-30 for 50%, Mitchell was 1-for-7 from downtown. Max Strus was 8-for-18 and 5-for-12 from deep for 23 points, and Jarrett Allen put up 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 7-for-9 and 8-for-8 from the line. Sam Merrill off the bench was 4-for-9 from 3-point range for 14 points. Jerome, usually reliable off the bench, shot just 1-for-14 in a starting role for 2 points. 

The Cavaliers were without Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (ankle), all-star Darius Garland (toe), and bench ace De’Andre Hunter (thumb), missing a collective 57 points based on their regular season averages. However, Jerome shooting as poorly as he did is unexpected, and he gives the Cavaliers any type of adequate performance, they would not be facing an 0-2 hole. 

For the Pacers, it is jubilation, having now taken both on the Cavaliers’ home floor against the Eastern Conference’s best team record-wise during the regular season. Games 3 and 4 are clearly must wins for the Cavaliers, and they will need their reinforcements if they are ready to go to play and play well. 

In Minnesota, Draymond Green came out gunning and Buddy Hield splashed in the second half as the Warriors, without Stephen Curry from the second quarter on, defeated the Timberwolves 99-88. 

Green scored early (at one point he was 4-for-5 from deep) and finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Hield, after just two first half points, scored 22 in the second half. He finished 7-for-19 from the field and 5-for-8 from downtown in 40 minutes. Hield hit key shots to maintain the Warriors’ cushion after the Timberwolves started to make some inroads in the fourth, a quarter they outscored the Warriors in 28-19. Jimmy Butler was only 7-for-20 from the field and 2-for-8 from downtown but did contribute 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Gary Payton II played a solid game off the bench, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists in 26 minutes. Curry had scored 13 points (3-for-6 from downtown) in 13 minutes before exiting with a hamstring strain and not returning. 

The Timberwolves are 12-for-76 from 3-point range in their last two games, and Anthony Edwards is 14-for-41 in that same time frame. Edwards struggled again on Tuesday night, missing early on but attacking late and getting his team back in it. He finished 9-for-22 (1-for-5 from 3-point range) for 23 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. He played 42 minutes. Naz Reid off the bench contributed 19 points (8-for-14, 3-for-7 from deep) and 5 rebounds. Julius Randle (18 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds) was 4-for-11 and 0-for-3 from downtown. He was not as aggressive as he was in the first round clincher against the Lakers. Not until late did he decide to attack the paint. Jaden McDaniels scored 12 points but took 12 shots (six makes) to get them. Donte DiVincenzo made 3-of-11 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep. 

Naz Reid scored the first Timberwolves’ 3-pointer of the game with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter, and the home team made a run in the second half, but the Warriors kept them at arm’s length. 

Neither team shot well, the Wolves 39.5% to the Warriors’ 39.1%. From downtown was the difference though: Warriors 18-for-42, Wolves 5-for-29. Although Rudy Gobert posted 11 rebounds in addition to Edwards’ 14, the Timberwolves were outrebounded 51-41. The Warriors won the turnover battle, 12 to Minnesota’s 16. The Wolves made 15-of-17 from the line (Randle 10-of-10), the Warriors 13-of-15. 

Curry’s availability going forward is obviously a concern, but him being out is precisely why the Warriors went and traded for Jimmy Butler, getting another playoff performer. Hield is a sniper as well. 

The Wolves flatly cannot shoot so poorly from downtown. Ironically, they were fourth in the regular in both 3-point percentage and makes, but are going through a slump at the absolute non preferential of times going against a team like the Warriors who has tremendous 3-point capabilities. 

Curry’s availability will be crucial, and the Timberwolves will need to get out of their long ball funk going forward. Edwards’ aggressiveness late in the game was a positive sign, his insistence on getting to the basket a prime reason for the Timberwolves making things relatively close. On the Warriors, Hield (33 points in Game 7 against Houston) continues to prove his ability as a top flight 3-point shooter. 

Game 2 goes Thursday at 8:30 p.m., while Game 2 of the Pacers-Cavaliers series goes Friday