CLEVELAND, Ohio — Count those regular-season wins, and take them to Cancun with you. For the third straight season, the Cavs are booking vacations earlier than expected.
This time, the Indiana Pacers beat Cleveland 114-105 on Tuesday to end this series in five games. And this loss will sting more than all the others. Because this season was supposed to be different.
Cleveland just became the fifth team in NBA history to win 60 games, post a point differential of plus-nine or higher and exit the playoffs before the conference finals. Remember the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs, or the 2012-13 Oklahoma City Thunder? History won’t. Not for the right reasons, at least. And this is the company Cleveland keeps after a (supposedly) historic season.
For 86 (not 82) games, this team looked like the class of the east. No defense could guard them, and nobody besides the Boston appeared on their level. Then Cleveland suffered a case of bad shooting luck, worse injury timing and poor execution against the Pacers.
Count the missed 3s and ailments. They provide important context to this series. We don’t know how this series progresses with a healthy Darius Garland or healthier versions of Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter.
But we do know Cleveland missed plenty of chances to play longer as is. Fans will remember this series for The Collapse, during which the Cavs squandered a seven-point lead with less than a minute to play. They’ll rue their Game 4 no-show, during which the Pacers led by 41 at half. And the home crowd at Rocket Arena chastised its own team after the Cavs squandered an 18-point lead during Game 5
Hear those boos during the second half? They came from a crowd tired of being fooled by fun regular seasons. Cleveland has won 163 regular-season games since Donovan Mitchell arrived. Mitchell has two playoff series wins to show for it.
And history will remember the smaller number more vividly.
**Four more takeaways from Game 5 of Cavs vs. Pacers:**
**2\. Donovan Mitchell runs out of gas**
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Donovan Mitchell shot 8 for 25 and missed six free throws during Tuesday’s 35-point performance, and I refuse to slander him for it. Why?
Because Mitchell spent the first three games of this series proving his playoff resume and risking his body while he did so. He tallied 33, then 48, then 43 points while converting only seven 3-pointers. Without his jump shot, Mitchell drove, fell and ate hard fouls. He did so on an injured calf. And during halftime of Game 4, he re-aggravated an ankle injury.
During Game 5, he played with both ailments, and it showed. Jumpers fell short. Pacers defenders pinned his typical fast break finishes to the back board. He looked tired.
Mitchell will tell you, “no excuses.” He’ll say he should’ve made more free throws, taken better shots, or perhaps paced himself in the series.
I’ll tell you he needed more help.
**3\. Puzzling Evan Mobley trend**
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Since returning from his ankle injury, Evan Mobley is averaging seven first-quarter points per game. During that same span, he’s averaging just two second-quarter field goal attempts.
Make it make sense.
It happened again during Tuesday’s loss vs. Indiana. Mobley started strong (again) with 10 points in nine first quarter minutes. One quarter later? Four points, one field goal attempt in over 10 minutes played.
Why? The Cavs keep telling us Mobley is their most important player. He has proven himself worthy of increased offensive ownership. But during a difficult series, the Cavs have too often ignored their All-Star big man.
Mobley finished with 24 points Tuesday on 8 of 12 shooting. Wonder how many he could’ve scored with five more shot attempts.
**4\. Ty Jerome’s roller coaster evening**
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Ty Jerome left and returned to the rotation during the same game. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson played eight men during the first half on Monday, and Jerome never left the bench until 2:59 remained in the third quarter.
The Sixth Man of the Year candidate entered Game 5 shooting 12 for 45 over the first four games of this series. And during Games 2-4, he scored 11 combined points on 12% shooting. Atkinson opted to play forward Isaac Okoro instead early.
Jerome averaged 12.5 points and 3.4 assists on 64.3% true shooting over 70 regular season games. And among players who appeared in every first-round playoff game against the Heat, Jerome tied Mobley (16.3 points per game) as Cleveland’s second-leading scorer behind Mitchell.
But the playoffs have a way of humbling everyone. Jerome struggled mightily in this series. Silver lining?
He scored eight second-half points during his late shift. Streaky till the end.
**5\. First quarter honors the 90s**
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Tired of jump-shot jacking basketball? Then Cleveland, this first quarter was for you.
The Cavs led 31-19 after 12 minutes while shooting 0 for 5 from 3-point range. Zero makes. Five attempts. Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey must’ve been watching in horror.
Cleveland’s formula proved effective, however, in part because the Pacers couldn’t shoot early either. Indiana finished 1 for 8 from 3-point range, which means 12 minutes of professional basketball produced one combined 3-pointer in 2025.
Ah, the 1990s. Felt good to be back.