Indiana Pacers Knock Out Top-Seeded Cavaliers to Book Eastern Conference Finals Spot

Haliburton leads the charge as Indiana eliminate Cleveland 4-1 in the NBA Playoffs

The Indiana Pacers are headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year, and they’ve done it in some style—by toppling the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in a commanding 114-105 win in Game 5 of their best-of-seven series. A year after being swept at this same stage by the Boston Celtics, Rick Carlisle’s men have shown they’ve grown in both maturity and resolve.

And at the heart of it all? Tyrese Haliburton. The All-Star guard put in a vintage postseason performance, dropping 31 points and dishing out eight assists, driving Indiana to a 4-1 series victory that few outside their locker room saw coming.

Pacers Hit Their Stride at the Perfect Time

Pacers eliminate top-seeded Cavaliers, advance to the Eastern Conference Finals

“This was one of the best teams in the league,” Carlisle said of Cleveland postgame. “I’m sorry their season had to end like this. They had the perfect season, and we came along and were hot at the right time.”

That “right time” was this entire series. The fourth-seeded Pacers didn’t just sneak past Cleveland—they outplayed them, outpaced them, and outshot them. Their uptempo brand of basketball left the Cavaliers struggling to keep up, especially across three brutal home games that ended in frustration for the Cleveland faithful.

Cleveland had looked like serious title contenders after a 4-0 sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round. But against Indiana, their firepower wasn’t enough, and their defense couldn’t contain the Pacers’ rhythm, especially with Haliburton orchestrating things.

Cavaliers Falter Under the Bright Lights

Donovan Mitchell, who was once again Cleveland’s standout performer with 35 points in Game 5, didn’t hide his disappointment after the final buzzer.

“We just didn’t get the job done,” he said. “Nothing else needs to be said. We let the city down. We let each other down. I believe in this team. That’s what just sucks. We’re a good team, but ultimately for three home games, we don’t seem it.”

Mitchell’s comments underscore a deeper issue for the Cavaliers—how a team that looked dominant in one round of the playoffs failed to translate that confidence and cohesion into a competitive second-round performance.

Pacers Set to Face Celtics or Knicks

Indiana now waits to find out who they’ll face in the Conference Finals. Their potential opponents are either the Boston Celtics—who swept the Pacers 4-0 in last year’s matchup—or the resurgent New York Knicks, who currently lead that semifinal series 3-1.

There’s no doubt that this is a different Indiana side than the one that was brushed aside last season. Haliburton’s development into a bonafide star, the emergence of key role players, and the tactical adjustments by Carlisle have all coalesced at just the right time.

The Pacers may be underdogs once again, but after toppling the number one seed, they’re not to be underestimated.

Thunder Push Nuggets to Brink of Elimination

Gilgeous-Alexander shines as Oklahoma City takes 3-2 lead over defending champions

While the Eastern Conference gave us a stunning upset, things are heating up out west as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another clutch performance for the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 31 points to help his side take a 3-2 lead over the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets.

Despite a massive 44-point, 15-rebound effort from Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets couldn’t keep pace down the stretch, as the Thunder ran out 112-105 winners in Game 5.

“This is a really disappointing loss,” said Denver interim coach David Adelman. “The guys in there should be disappointed. It’s a heavy loss and we have to bounce back quickly.”

Clutch Plays Define a Tight Finish

It was a tense, closely contested matchup, but the Thunder had the sharper edge when it mattered most. Jalen Williams buried a crucial three-pointer to give OKC a 106-103 lead with just over a minute left. Seconds later, it was Gilgeous-Alexander who rose to the moment, sinking another triple to extend the lead to six with just 48 seconds remaining.

That dagger proved to be too much for Denver to overcome, even with Jokic doing his best to drag his team to the finish line.

“What the great players do is they rise in the face of those challenges and adversities,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, praising his star guard. “Despite the fact that the pressure was mounting and it got hotter in there, he got cooler and just kind of settled into it.”

Game 6 Set for Friday Night Showdown

With the series shifting back to Denver for Game 6 on Friday night (01:30 BST), the pressure is now firmly on the champions. They’ve shown time and again that they can bounce back when it counts, but this young and hungry Thunder squad isn’t backing down.

A win for Oklahoma City would see them into the Western Conference Finals—a stunning rise for one of the league’s youngest teams. And with Gilgeous-Alexander playing the way he is, who’s to say they can’t go all the way?