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CLEVELAND − Two-way contract guard Quenton Jackson scored 21 points to help the Pacers rally from a 27-point deficit including a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Cavaliers 126-118 in double overtime in the regular-season finale with both teams assured of their playoff positions and using the end of their respective benches.
The Pacers finish the season 50-32, reaching the 50-point plateau for the first time since 2013-14. They will be the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and face the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs finish the season 64-18 with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Pacers rookie wing Johnny Furphy had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Center Tony Bradley had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Guard RayJ Dennis had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Forward Jaylon Tyson scored 31 points to lead the Cavaliers.
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With 7:35 to go in Sunday's fourth quarter, the Pacers were down 96-73. Their starters and second-unit players had long since checked out and the five players they had on the floor were two-way contract players Quenton Jackson, Enrique Freeman and RayJ Dennis, rookie Johnny Furphy and center Tony Bradley, who initially joined the team on a 10-day in March. They were facing a collection of two-way and end of bench players in Cleveland as well, but those Cavaliers had been in complete control since the second quarter.
But those Pacers somehow took the control away and came all the way back to force one overtime and then another, and then won.
Indiana went on a 24-2 run to cut the deficit to 98-97 with 2:46 to play. The Cavaliers grew the lead back to six points and they were up 105-99 with 43 seconds to go. However, a tip-in by Bradley made it a four-point game. The Cavs threw the ball away on the next possession and a Jackson layup made it 105-103 with 21 seconds to go. The Cavaliers turned the ball over in the backcourt and a dunk by Furphy tied the score with 11 seconds left. Cleveland's Emoni Bates missed a 3 and the Pacers got a rebound with 2.5 seconds to go and Furphy had a look at a jumper to win it but missed and the game went to overtime.
The Pacers didn't score at all in the first 3:55 of overtime, but they rallied back to tie it again. Jackson was fouled and hit two free throws, then got a steal and missed a driving layup, but Furphy followed with a tip dunk to tie the score at 109 with 44 seconds left and both teams missed opportunities down the stretch to send it to double overtime.
Bradley hit a hook shot to start the second overtime and the Pacers took control. Dennis scored seven points in double overtime and put the game away.
The Pacers somewhat surprisingly decided to play three of their starters in the season finale after sitting all five in Thursday's game. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal SIakam were held out and backup wings Bennedict Mathurin (left calf injury management) and Ben Sheppard (right great toe sprain) were both held out for injury reasons, but the Pacers started with everyone else available. That included starters Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner. Each of them played a half before calling it a day and backup forward Obi Toppin did the same.
Nesmith scored 10 points, Turner had nine and Toppin had seven. However, Nembhard continued a shooting slump, scoring three points on 1-of-8 shooting. He was also 1-of-8 against Cleveland on Thursday and 1-of-7 against the Wizards on Tuesday, so he's 3-of-23 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3 since his 19-point performance in last week's win over the Nuggets. The 3-pointer he hit Sunday was his first since April 2 — he was 0-of-12 in between — and he hasn't hit two 3-pointers in a game since the Pacers' win over Dallas on March 19. Since then, he's 8-of-38 from 3-point range.
Just as was the case Friday night when the Pacers didn't play any of their starters, things went haywire in the second quarter. The Cavs didn't shoot it as well as the Magic did in the 43-20 second quarter in that game, but they made enough shots to put a gap in their lead over a Pacers team that couldn't make any.
The Cavs took a 32-26 lead into the second quarter and won the period 29-18 to go into halftime with a 61-44 advantage. Cleveland was a modest 11-of-27 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3 in the period for 1.02 points per possession, but their zone defense forced the Pacers out of their rhythm entirely. They settled for jump shots too often and didn't make any of them.
The Pacers made 8-of-21 field goals in the period and missed all 11 of their 3-point attempts. So they were 8-of-10 inside the arc but couldn't get it there nearly enough to make up for the times they didn't. Their 18 points matched the fewest they've scored in a second quarter this season. There have been three quarters this season in which they've scored 17 points, but they've never had fewer.
That ugly shooting period was just part of a very dry afternoon for the Pacers from 3-point range. They made five 3s in the first quarter but just five more the rest of the game and finished 10-of-42 from beyond the arc.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers' subs overcome 27-point deficit to beat Cavs, finish with 50 wins
Continue reading...
The Pacers finish the season 50-32, reaching the 50-point plateau for the first time since 2013-14. They will be the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and face the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs finish the season 64-18 with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Pacers rookie wing Johnny Furphy had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Center Tony Bradley had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Guard RayJ Dennis had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Forward Jaylon Tyson scored 31 points to lead the Cavaliers.
It's Pacers vs. Bucks again in playoffs: Who has edge in first-round series?
Johnny Furphy: Dunk had teammates dancing, a sign of rookie's growth and fearlessness
Two-way contract players key 24-point comeback for overtime
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With 7:35 to go in Sunday's fourth quarter, the Pacers were down 96-73. Their starters and second-unit players had long since checked out and the five players they had on the floor were two-way contract players Quenton Jackson, Enrique Freeman and RayJ Dennis, rookie Johnny Furphy and center Tony Bradley, who initially joined the team on a 10-day in March. They were facing a collection of two-way and end of bench players in Cleveland as well, but those Cavaliers had been in complete control since the second quarter.
But those Pacers somehow took the control away and came all the way back to force one overtime and then another, and then won.
Indiana went on a 24-2 run to cut the deficit to 98-97 with 2:46 to play. The Cavaliers grew the lead back to six points and they were up 105-99 with 43 seconds to go. However, a tip-in by Bradley made it a four-point game. The Cavs threw the ball away on the next possession and a Jackson layup made it 105-103 with 21 seconds to go. The Cavaliers turned the ball over in the backcourt and a dunk by Furphy tied the score with 11 seconds left. Cleveland's Emoni Bates missed a 3 and the Pacers got a rebound with 2.5 seconds to go and Furphy had a look at a jumper to win it but missed and the game went to overtime.
The Pacers didn't score at all in the first 3:55 of overtime, but they rallied back to tie it again. Jackson was fouled and hit two free throws, then got a steal and missed a driving layup, but Furphy followed with a tip dunk to tie the score at 109 with 44 seconds left and both teams missed opportunities down the stretch to send it to double overtime.
Bradley hit a hook shot to start the second overtime and the Pacers took control. Dennis scored seven points in double overtime and put the game away.
Available starters call it a day after first half
The Pacers somewhat surprisingly decided to play three of their starters in the season finale after sitting all five in Thursday's game. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal SIakam were held out and backup wings Bennedict Mathurin (left calf injury management) and Ben Sheppard (right great toe sprain) were both held out for injury reasons, but the Pacers started with everyone else available. That included starters Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner. Each of them played a half before calling it a day and backup forward Obi Toppin did the same.
Nesmith scored 10 points, Turner had nine and Toppin had seven. However, Nembhard continued a shooting slump, scoring three points on 1-of-8 shooting. He was also 1-of-8 against Cleveland on Thursday and 1-of-7 against the Wizards on Tuesday, so he's 3-of-23 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3 since his 19-point performance in last week's win over the Nuggets. The 3-pointer he hit Sunday was his first since April 2 — he was 0-of-12 in between — and he hasn't hit two 3-pointers in a game since the Pacers' win over Dallas on March 19. Since then, he's 8-of-38 from 3-point range.
Pacers fall apart in second quarter again
Just as was the case Friday night when the Pacers didn't play any of their starters, things went haywire in the second quarter. The Cavs didn't shoot it as well as the Magic did in the 43-20 second quarter in that game, but they made enough shots to put a gap in their lead over a Pacers team that couldn't make any.
The Cavs took a 32-26 lead into the second quarter and won the period 29-18 to go into halftime with a 61-44 advantage. Cleveland was a modest 11-of-27 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3 in the period for 1.02 points per possession, but their zone defense forced the Pacers out of their rhythm entirely. They settled for jump shots too often and didn't make any of them.
The Pacers made 8-of-21 field goals in the period and missed all 11 of their 3-point attempts. So they were 8-of-10 inside the arc but couldn't get it there nearly enough to make up for the times they didn't. Their 18 points matched the fewest they've scored in a second quarter this season. There have been three quarters this season in which they've scored 17 points, but they've never had fewer.
That ugly shooting period was just part of a very dry afternoon for the Pacers from 3-point range. They made five 3s in the first quarter but just five more the rest of the game and finished 10-of-42 from beyond the arc.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers' subs overcome 27-point deficit to beat Cavs, finish with 50 wins
Continue reading...
