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Haliburton's 3 with 1.1 seconds left gives Pacers 120-119 stunning win over Cavs and 2-0 series lead

[May 07, 2025] By JOE REEDY

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton said he knows he's trusted to deliver in big moments.

In three straight playoff games, the Indiana Pacers guard has delivered when it has mattered most.

Haliburton made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining as the Pacers scored the final eight points in 47.9 seconds to stun the short-handed and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

Haliburton scored 11 of his 19 points in the final 12 minutes. After Andrew Nembhard stole an inbounds pass by Cleveland's Max Strus with 27.5 seconds remaining, Indiana tried to find a potential tying 3-pointer before Haliburton drove inside and got fouled.

He made the first free throw, but missed the second. Haliburton got the offensive rebound and dribbled out to the 3-point line, where he made it from the top of the key.

“I was (ticked) I missed the layup because I couldn’t hang onto the ball, so I backed it out. I just saw Ty Jerome, top of the key and knocked it down," Haliburton said. “It’s the NBA, crazier things have happened. That’s just what basketball is. We don’t give up and we’re battle tested. We just find a way.”

After making a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime to help the Pacers eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks, Haliburton has continued to hit key shots against the Cavaliers.

He scored 22 points in Sunday's 121-112 victory in the series opener, including a go-ahead 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter.

“Obviously, we got lucky. Ty hit another amazing shot to win the game," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "You don’t see this very often, let alone twice in one week. Tyrese, he came through again. We’re very fortunate.”

Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith led No. 4 seed Indiana with 23 points apiece. It's the first time the Pacers have won the first two games of a playoff series on the road since a 1994 first-round set against Orlando.

Game 3 is Friday night in Indianapolis.

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From left, Indiana Pacers Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard (2) and Obi Toppin, right, celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Donovan Mitchell scored 48 points for Cleveland, who were missing three key players, including two starters. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (left ankle) and key reserve De’Andre Hunter (right thumb) were injured in Game 1, while Darius Garland (left big toe) missed his fourth straight postseason game.

“I feel like we outplayed them for the majority of the game and then towards the end we had our mental lapses. They capitalized on every single mistake that we made,” said Jarrett Allen, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Mitchell scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Cavaliers built a 98-81 lead late in the period. But the Pacers rallied with a 17-6 run to get back in it.

Cleveland looked as though it got some breathing room with 1:06 remaining when Max Strus hit a 3-pointer off an assist by Mitchell to put them up 117-110.

But the Cavs couldn't hold on again as they committed two turnovers and the Pacers had a pair of offensive rebounds that led to points in the final minute. It's the first time Cleveland dropped its first two at home in the playoffs since 1996 in the first round against the Knicks.

“It’s hard to put all this in words," Carlisle said. "Cleveland hit us with a hellacious punch early in the game. In the fourth, we just hung on. We maintained enough energy to get it done. Give the guys credit, they somehow found a way.”

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