With their season on the line on the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to put a performance to match the stakes. However, on the contrary, the Cavs were dismantled by the Indiana Pacers 129-109. When we say that the 20-point loss looks much better, you better believe that. That’s because Cleveland found themselves in a 41-point deficit at halftime, in what could only be described as one of, if not the worst, offenses any team has displayed on the court this season. This horrendous performance by the first-seeded Cleveland team that just came off a 64-win regular season sees them fall into a 3-1 deficit. This deficit would give the Cleveland faithful a lot of flashbacks, particularly good ones.
The Cavaliers are down 3-1 in the playoffs; we all have heard that one before. Despite being on the brink of elimination, Cleveland’s All-Star guard, Darius Garland, seems unfazed. In fact, if anything, he seemed confident about his teammates and had belief in his eyes. The Cavaliers’ point guard, while speaking to the reporters, drew inspiration from the team’s NBA Finals run led by a certain No. 23. “This franchise has been down 3-1 before,” Garland emphasized. “This group can do it, we got the talent, we got the skillset, the camaraderie is always there. Just play our brand of basketball.”
The 25-year-old Cleveland star reminded everyone about the time when LeBron James led the charge for the Cavaliers against the Warriors in the finals. King James and Co. overcame a massive 3-1 deficit in the 2016 Finals to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. It was a without a doubt, one of the biggest comebacks not just in basketball, but in sporting history. Garland believes he and his teammates can pull off something similar against the Pacers after falling 3-1 down. Indeed, they do have the caliber to do so, but they haven’t been able to replicate their regular-season over even their first-round performances in this series.
Darius Garland on the Cavs being down 3-1:
“This franchise has been down 3-1 before. This group can do it, we got the talent, we got the skillset, the camaraderie is always there. Just play our brand of basketball.”
h/t @camijustice
pic.twitter.com/LJ6gDImXeu
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) May 12, 2025
For whatever reason, the Cavaliers have just not been able to play their natural game. They have been terrible on both ends of the court, and Indiana has exploited that big time. However, untimely injuries haven’t helped their cause either. The Cavaliers were without Darius Garland for the first couple of games as the point guard recovered from a big toe sprain. Then De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley also joined Garland in the stands. Soon, they all returned to the floor, only for Cleveland’s franchise player, Donovan Mitchell, to suffer an ankle injury in the first half of Game 4. With Mitchell’s fitness in the air, the question is: Will the Cavaliers be able to pull off a miracle?
Meanwhile, the team has been urged to make a tough call on their franchise player.
Cleveland is urged to make a tough call on Donovan Mitchell
This wasn’t a series that the Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to win for some reason. While Darius Garland seems to be confident that he and his teammates can still come back from this, that has just been made harder. It is not officially over, but Donovan Mitchell’s injury might be a good enough reason for the Cavaliers to wave the white flag. As the Cavaliers found themselves down by 41 in what was a terrible first half, things were going to get much worse. Donovan Mitchell did not return with the rest of the team for the second half. The Cavaliers’ star was not seen again on the night after which the fans found out he suffered an ankle injury.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson did not have an update postgame but did clear that he will be getting an MRI on Monday. The injury did not come during the game, but it happened while he was warming up for the second half. That’s devastating news for Cleveland. While the MRI results are yet to come in, ESPN’s Chris Canty believes Cleveland should shut Mitchell. “You’re talking about your best player dealing with a significant injury. You’ve got a better chance, it’s something bad happening to Donovan Mitchell in the way of injuries, with him pushing it as opposed to your team being able to come back from being down three-one in a series and get to the conference finals. It’s just playing the odds.” He said.
“I would shut Donovan Mitchell down for the rest of the playoffs – which ain’t gonna be that long.” @ChrisCanty99 | @ESPNCleveland pic.twitter.com/pX8zMdOhHg
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) May 12, 2025
Indeed, playing Donovan Mitchell could do more harm than good at this point. That’s because the risk of him sustaining an injury outweighs the chances of Cleveland making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. “I think that this is an instance where you have to protect the player from himself, and you have to protect what’s in the best interest of the franchise, long term. The window is just opening up for Cleveland.” Canty pointed out that this is a relatively young Cleveland team and has the potential to come back stronger next season. So, risking a long-term injury to achieve something small this season might not be the answer. Well, there’s no update on Mitchell’s injury right now as Cleveland fans collectively hold their breath.
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