Deadspin | Cavs overcome slow start to beat Pacers, move to brink of top-four seed 
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points and James Harden had 28 points and seven assists as the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a slow start in a 117-108 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Thomas Bryant posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and Keon Ellis added 13 points for Cleveland (49-29), which did not lead in the first half before rallying for its eighth win in the last 10 games. Mitchell also had six rebounds and six assists.
The Cavaliers are on the verge of locking up fourth place in the Eastern Conference, which would give them home-court advantage in the first round. They lead the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks by four games with four to play.
Micah Potter and Obi Toppin scored 21 points apiece for Indiana (18-60), which only dressed nine players and has the second-worst record in the league. Jalen Slawson scored a career-high 19 points, and Quenton Jackson had 15 points.
The Pacers are 3-4 since ending their franchise-record losing streak at 16 on March 23 at the Orlando Magic. Potter grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out four assists, while Toppin had eight boards and made all 10 of his free-throw attempts.
Cleveland scored five straight points early in the fourth on a Nae’Qwan Tomlin 3-pointer and a Mitchell runner, finally pulling ahead for good at 101-96.
The Cavaliers tied the game on their first possession of the third quarter when Bryant drained a 3-pointer to make it 58-58. Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to put them in front for the first time at 61-60, but the Pacers held a 91-90 edge going into the fourth.
Two free throws by Jackson allowed Indiana to take its largest lead at 47-35 four minutes into the second. It held a 58-55 edge at intermission with Potter and Slawson scoring 14 apiece, countering 19 points from Harden and 15 by Mitchell.
Potter and Slawson made two 3-pointers apiece in the first five minutes as the Pacers buried 6-of-8 attempts beyond the arc in seizing a 20-10 advantage. Slawson had nine points in the period, while Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 11.
Cleveland gave the night off to starting forward Evan Mobley, guard Sam Merrill and center Jarrett Allen. It also was without forwards Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bone bruise) and Dean Wade (right ankle sprain), who have spent time in the first five due to injuries.
All-Star Pascal Siakam (left ankle sprain), Andrew Nembhard (back pain), Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain), Jarace Walker (lower back bruise), Ben Sheppard (right hip sprain) and T.J. McConnell (bilateral hamstring soreness) were among the nine Pacers sidelined.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Cavs #overcome #slow #start #beat #Pacers #move #brink #topfour #seed
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points and James Harden had 28 points and seven assists as the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a slow start in a 117-108 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Thomas Bryant posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and Keon Ellis added 13 points for Cleveland (49-29), which did not lead in the first half before rallying for its eighth win in the last 10 games. Mitchell also had six rebounds and six assists.
The Cavaliers are on the verge of locking up fourth place in the Eastern Conference, which would give them home-court advantage in the first round. They lead the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks by four games with four to play.
Micah Potter and Obi Toppin scored 21 points apiece for Indiana (18-60), which only dressed nine players and has the second-worst record in the league. Jalen Slawson scored a career-high 19 points, and Quenton Jackson had 15 points.
The Pacers are 3-4 since ending their franchise-record losing streak at 16 on March 23 at the Orlando Magic. Potter grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out four assists, while Toppin had eight boards and made all 10 of his free-throw attempts.
Cleveland scored five straight points early in the fourth on a Nae’Qwan Tomlin 3-pointer and a Mitchell runner, finally pulling ahead for good at 101-96.
The Cavaliers tied the game on their first possession of the third quarter when Bryant drained a 3-pointer to make it 58-58. Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to put them in front for the first time at 61-60, but the Pacers held a 91-90 edge going into the fourth.
Two free throws by Jackson allowed Indiana to take its largest lead at 47-35 four minutes into the second. It held a 58-55 edge at intermission with Potter and Slawson scoring 14 apiece, countering 19 points from Harden and 15 by Mitchell.
Potter and Slawson made two 3-pointers apiece in the first five minutes as the Pacers buried 6-of-8 attempts beyond the arc in seizing a 20-10 advantage. Slawson had nine points in the period, while Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 11.
Cleveland gave the night off to starting forward Evan Mobley, guard Sam Merrill and center Jarrett Allen. It also was without forwards Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bone bruise) and Dean Wade (right ankle sprain), who have spent time in the first five due to injuries.
All-Star Pascal Siakam (left ankle sprain), Andrew Nembhard (back pain), Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain), Jarace Walker (lower back bruise), Ben Sheppard (right hip sprain) and T.J. McConnell (bilateral hamstring soreness) were among the nine Pacers sidelined.
–Field Level Media
![Angel Reese’s time in Chicago is officially over The Chicago Sky have traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dreams, ending her two-year run as the face of the Sky’s franchise. Reese lands in Atlanta in exchange for the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. As part of the trade, Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.Reese, a rising third-year player, has been one of the league’s most formidable frontcourt players; she’s a two-time All-Star who has averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in her career.“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said in an official press release. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”The relationship between Reese and the Sky organization appeared fractured ever since she was suspended for a game in September for what the organization termed “statements detrimental to the team.”That came after she sat down for an interview with the Chicago Tribune about the state of the organization. Among her remarks, Reese told the Tribune she is “not settling for the same shit we did this year,” and that the team ”[has] to get great players,” among other comments.The Chicago Sky failed to make the playoffs in both of Reese’s first two seasons, finishing with a 10-34 record last season — the second-worst record in the WNBA.The Dream were 30-14 last year, but lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs. They were led by All-Stars Allisha Gray (18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists), Rhyne Howard (17.5 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds), and Brionna Jones (12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds per game).Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover praised Reese in an official statement.“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” said Padover. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production, and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.” #Angel #Reeses #time #Chicago #officially](https://i3.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2232943689.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.72992968287%2C100%2C78.540140634259&w=1200&ssl=1 "Angel Reese’s time in Chicago is officially over The Chicago Sky have traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dreams, ending her two-year run as the face of the Sky’s franchise. Reese lands in Atlanta in exchange for the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. As part of the trade, Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.Reese, a rising third-year player, has been one of the league’s most formidable frontcourt players; she’s a two-time All-Star who has averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in her career.“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said in an official press release. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”The relationship between Reese and the Sky organization appeared fractured ever since she was suspended for a game in September for what the organization termed “statements detrimental to the team.”That came after she sat down for an interview with the Chicago Tribune about the state of the organization. Among her remarks, Reese told the Tribune she is “not settling for the same shit we did this year,” and that the team ”[has] to get great players,” among other comments.The Chicago Sky failed to make the playoffs in both of Reese’s first two seasons, finishing with a 10-34 record last season — the second-worst record in the WNBA.The Dream were 30-14 last year, but lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs. They were led by All-Stars Allisha Gray (18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists), Rhyne Howard (17.5 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds), and Brionna Jones (12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds per game).Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover praised Reese in an official statement.“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” said Padover. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production, and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.” #Angel #Reeses #time #Chicago #officially")
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