There isn’t much that Kyrie Irving hasn’t done in his already-brilliant five-year NBA career. But winning a game in Indiana was one of them – until Monday night.
Irving and Co. had to play some bonus hoops to get the job done after relinquishing a double-digit halftime lead, but eventually the Wine and Gold overcame the Pacers in overtime – winning their fifth straight game, 111-106, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
As he’s done throughout that five-year career, Irving saved his best for last – notching 15 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth period and overtime, including a pull-up jumper with 44 seconds to play in regulation to tie the game at 96-apiece and back-to-back buckets early in the extra-session that turned a one-point deficit into a three-point lead.
As it had in the previous four victories, he Cavaliers’ offense was rolling through the first two periods on Monday. Cleveland shot a gaudy 62 percent from the floor in the first half and took a 60-49 lead into the locker room.
But the Pacers rallied in the third quarter, and the Cavaliers resorted to some old habits that had their new head coach fuming. As Indiana methodically wiped away Cleveland’s lead, Coach Lue refused to take a timeout. Rookie big man Myles Turner’s short turnaround tied the score at 67-all and his rebound and put-back gave the Pacers their first lead since the first quarter.
Indiana held that small lead through the fourth quarter and Cleveland didn’t regain their advantage until LeBron James scored on a short jumper with 1:16 to play to give the Cavs a 94-93 edge.
George Hill canned a three-pointer on Indy’s next possession to give the Pacers back a two-point lead before Kyrie’s jumper evened the score. The Pacers had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Monta Ellis dribbled down the clock and took an off-balance jumper that barely drew iron.
In overtime, Kevin Love came up big on both ends – drilling a three-pointer less than a minute into the extra-session to give Cleveland an early lead and preserving that edge with the defensive play of the night, blocking Paul George’s layup attempt with 48 seconds to play.
Love finished with 19 points and eight boards, adding two steals and a pair of blocks. He was one of five Cavalier starters to score in double-figures – the second time in as many games, and sixth time this season the team has achieved that feat.
LeBron doubled-up with 24 points and 12 boards to go with six assists, two steals and a block.
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