INDIANAPOLIS — In the Racing Capital of the World, the reeling Cavs finally found the right gear.
No more cruise control.
Cleveland sped past overmatched Indiana, 135-119, on Monday night inside a mostly empty Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It’s the Cavs’ second victory this season against their playoff nemesis.
Going into the night riding a three-game losing skid — the second-longest of the Kenny Atkinson era — players spoke about having a healthy level of frustration.
Sure looked like it.
Who better to take it out on than a wounded, four-win Pacers team — an unrecognizable version of the group that eliminated Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals?
Despite being without six every-night rotation players — Darius Garland (injury toe management), Sam Merrill (right hand sprain), Jarrett Allen (strained right finger), Larry Nance Jr. (calf strain), Lonzo Ball (illness) and Max Strus (foot surgery) — the motivated Cavs got off to a flying start.
They outscored Indiana 7-2 in the first two minutes and had a double-digit lead by the 6:48 mark of the first quarter. After going in front for the first time less than 90 seconds into the game, the Cavs never relinquished the lead.
One lead change. One tie. Forty-eight minutes of superiority — exactly what a supposed championship contender should do against a woebegone lottery bound opponent missing its most important player (Tyrese Haliburton) for the entire season because of a ruptured Achilles.
Despite being behind by double figures most of the game, the scrappy Pacers cut the lead to seven at the 3:06 mark of the third quarter. It was briefly a two-possession game in the closing seconds of the third.
Here we go again? Taking their foot off the neck of another opponent?
Nope. Not this time.
Mitchell opened the fourth on a personal 5-0 run — and Cleveland eventually pushed the lead back to 17 with about seven minutes left, causing Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to pull many of his starters, what’s left of that group, anyway.
Second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson was the most vociferous — and critical — Cavalier following Sunday’s disappointing loss to Boston. Saying the team was in “cruise control” and not hungry enough, he backed up those biting words and helped set the tone.
Playing with passion, vigor and ferocity, Tyson scored a season-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds and four assists while hitting 10 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range. It’s his second career game with at least 20 points.
Mitchell, Cleveland’s unquestioned leader and MVP candidate, tallied a game-high 43 points on 16 of 27 from the field and 4 of 10 from beyond the arc in 34 spectacular minutes. It’s Mitchell’s third 40-point game of the season.
Prior to tipoff, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson admitted he could sense frustration within the group. He was happy about it. Believes it’s a good thing for a team that sailed through the 2024-25 campaign in historic fashion. He even brought up his past experience — a way to put this early-season inconsistency in perspective.
“I trust our group,” Atkinson said. “We’ll come out and fight, compete and play together.”
The Cavs did. Not for one half. Not for one quarter. From the opening tip. For the entire game. Breaking a nasty pattern and sending the sparse crowd to the exists early, as they braced for the winter storm hitting the area.
A Cavalanche.
**Up next**
The Cavs return home for three straight — a stretch that begins Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.