Pacers vs. Cavaliers: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana steal opener on road
From the opening tip, Indiana emphasized transition offense to create open looks. And when the Pacers got those, they drained them -- especially from beyond the arc.
MORE: NBA sing-a-long returns: Famous sports anthem will be back with NBC coverage
The Pacers finished the game shooting 53% from the floor (44-of-83), but the most impressive stat was Indiana's 19-of-36 (52.8%) day from 3-point range. In fact, when compared to Cleveland's nine converted 3s, that means the Pacers posted a 30-point advantage from deep.
Indiana had six players reach double-figures in scoring, with four of those putting down at least 17. Guard Andrew Nembhard, who laced 5-of-6 3s, led the way with 23 points and six assists. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton added 22 points and a game-high 13 assists.
OPINION: Nuggets should hire David Adelman now. He proved himself with win against Clippers.
Throughout most of the game, the Pacers controlled the action, taking a six-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers, who were down by 12 in the middle of the third, relied on guard Donovan Mitchell's 12 points in the period to spark a 20-4 run that allowed Cleveland to briefly reclaim the lead, their first since the game was 8-6 when there were nine minutes left in the first quarter.
Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 33 points to go with four assists and five rebounds, but he struggled significantly from 3-point range, making just one of his 11 attempts.
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS PREVIEWS: NYK-BOS | IND-CLE | DEN-OKC
But, in the fourth quarter, the Pacers ripped off a 15-4 run to take an eight-point lead inside the final two minutes.
Game 2 is in Cleveland on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Pacers pine for hostile home crowd, Finals shift to Indy
June 9 - For the first time since 2000, the NBA Finals are headed to Indianapolis. The Pacers are even with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 1-all in the best-of-seven Finals as the series rolls into Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday night. "We got one. Get to go home and play in front of our fans at Gainbridge," Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith said. "They've been waiting for this for 25 years, so it's exciting to go back and see what the atmosphere will be like." The Pacers swiped the opening game of the series and went into the second with a 7-0 record in Games 1 and 2 this postseason before the 123-107 loss that evened the Finals. While Oklahoma City squandered a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter in Game 1, the Thunder defense was relentless in Game 2. Indiana has only 38 points in the paint in two games, an area Pascal Siakam believes the Pacers must address to reclaim the series lead. "They swarm a lot. They do a good job of that. I mean, yeah, they use their hands a lot," Siakam said. "I mean, we are not going to get into fouls or no fouls but whatever. I think they are just being aggressive, and we've got to be stronger with the ball. We can't let that speed us up. We've still got to play under control ... that's what we've got to find a way to do." NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 36 points in the Finals and had 34 points and eight assists for the Thunder in Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander has 72 points in his first two Finals games, one better than the previous best ever two-game debut by Allen Iverson (71). "I'm being myself. I don't think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far," he said. "Now, I would trade the points for two Ws, for sure. But this is where our feet are. This is where we are. You can't go back in the past, you can only make the future better. That's what I'm focused on." --Field Level Media
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Matt Vogt once chose dentistry over golf. Back home at the US Open, he's learned he didn't have to
Matt Vogt was always going to be at the U.S. Open this week. The man who likes to plan had it all planned out. He and his wife, Hilary, and their 15-month-old daughter, Charlotte, and their dogs would make the nearly six-hour drive from the Indianapolis suburbs and then crash at his mom's house in Cranberry, about 20 minutes from Oakmont. At some point, the 34-year-old knew he'd make it out to the course where he spent five-ish years caddying, a job whose perks included the opportunity to put a tee in the ground on Monday nights, something he admits now he didn't do nearly often enough. And the day after this year's Open ended, Vogt would find himself back in the main office of the dental practice he opened in 2018. That last part is still part of the plan, by the way. It's everything else about this trip that's changed. Three rounds of exquisitely steady golf — the kind Vogt found so elusive as a 'hot-headed' 20-year-old that he left his college team to focus on his other passion instead — will do that. So yes, Vogt will be at Oakmont this week after qualifying for the 125th edition of the national championship. In essentially his hometown, on a course that certainly feels like home on Father's Day weekend, just two months after losing his father and biggest supporter, Jim, to colon cancer. 'This is pretty wild,' Vogt said on Monday while walking in for a news conference that carried on for more than 20 minutes, unheard of at a major tournament for an amateur with a respectable but hardly historic resume. When 'pipe dreams' become reality, it usually is. Trading one passion for another Vogt is a dreamer sure. Just a pragmatic one. Even though he's 6-foot-6. Even though he's always been able to hit the ball a long, long way. Even though he's long felt drawn to a game that requires discipline, focus and a touch of math, he never considered trying to make a living doing it. By the time he graduated from Seneca Valley High School, an hour north of Pittsburgh in 2009, he was pretty sure he didn't have 'it.' A couple of years playing at Butler University reinforced what he held to be true: that he wasn't prepared — physically or mentally — for the toll the game can take if you dedicate your life to chasing it. So he took a break, a long one. He graduated with a degree in biology, then enrolled in dental school at the University of Indiana. There was something about the combination of helping people, problem-solving and running his own business that appealed to him, even if he laughs now about all the things he didn't know when The Dentists at Gateway Crossing opened its doors. Things like the fact that the rent is due even if those doors aren't actually open yet. 'That was a freaky, freaky few months,' he said. He quickly figured things out, and his practice steadily grew. Vogt now has another dentist on staff and has become an advisor to young doctors who want to follow the ambitious path he took. Reorganized priorities Around the same time Vogt's practice opened, he made himself a promise. 'Don't look back and be the guy, 'Well, if I had just done this or that, I maybe could have done great things,'' he said. He's not sure why he started hitting balls with a purpose again in 2018. It just kind of happened. He quickly became a fixture on the Indiana amateur circuit and qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont but didn't make it out of stroke play. The first number of his score was an eight, and the second was either one or two, and to be honest, he's fine not being totally sure. The disappointment didn't linger. He shot 67 at the alternate site the next day. Not enough of a rally to become one of the top 64 who advanced to match play, but telling of the ever-increasing maturity of both his game and his approach. Having a job, having a family to support, playing because he wanted to, not because he had to, shifted his perspective. He's no longer a golfer first. At this point in his life, that might not even crack the top five behind Christian, father and husband, among others. 'One of the biggest changes is, I've gotten my priorities right,' he said. Bombs away Some things, however, have not changed. At least on the course. Vogt hits it far. How far? He ran into long drive champion/influencer Kyle Berkshire at a pro-am a few months after the 2021 U.S. Amateur. Berkshire saw enough to invite Vogt out to Nevada to see if he could qualify for a long drive competition. While he didn't quite reach the world championships, he did unleash a 466-yard missile that drifted out of bounds. He had a blast, but also realized he was running the risk of spreading himself too thin. So he took what he learned and incorporated it into his skillset. It's one of the reasons he opted to try to qualify for this year's U.S. Open by picking a route that included a sectional at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington. The 'math and science geek' had done his research. He knew Wine Valley was wide enough that he probably wouldn't run into trouble if he started spraying tee shots. He captured medalist honors after back-to-back 4-under 68s. And suddenly, the dentist from Indiana was on The Golf Channel, his emotional post-round video going viral and his phone blowing up to the point that he asked Hillary to help him keep track of it all. Things got so busy last week that when Vogt tried to sneak out to practice, it wasn't until he was nearly at the course that he realized he'd forgotten his shoes. A grateful heart Vogt's soft spikes were back in their usual spot when he stepped off the first tee on a Monday unlike any of the others he'd ever experienced at Oakmont. This time, he wasn't slinging it in the twilight with the other caddies. Instead, he was walking down the fairways with good friend and occasional tournament partner Kevin O'Brien on his bag, saying hello to familiar faces on the other side of the ropes while he signed autographs, his father never far from his mind. Jim Vogt was diagnosed with colon cancer last July. Less than a year later, he's gone. Vogt — who is wearing a blue ribbon on his baseball cap for colon cancer awareness — is still processing it. He is pressing on and trying to lean into the joy along the way. 'I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude,' he said. 'And hopefully some good golf, too.' ___
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Caitlin Clark (quad) to sit Tuesday when Fever face Dream
June 9 - Caitlin Clark has been declared out for Tuesday's WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. Clark, who has missed four games while rehabbing a quad strain, expressed hope last week that she would return to the Fever lineup on Tuesday. Instead, she and teammate Sophie Cunningham will stay on the sidelines with the goal of being cleared for Saturday's game against the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty. "We've got to work both (Caitlin) and Sophie back into ... are they in basketball condition?" Fever coach Stephanie White said after Monday's practice. "You know, what does it mean to go live? It's one thing to do some shooting drills. It's another thing to get out there on the floor, get back into movement patterns, rhythm, timing. "Both of them being out for long periods of time, you've got to work your way back into being game-ready." Clark has averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds in her four appearances this season. The Fever went 2-2 with Clark in the lineup and have gone 2-2 with her on the sidelines. "She's been allowed to do some practicing," White said. "Not everything. And we're going to be smart. We're going to be cautious and we're going to play the long game and work her back in very intentionally." --Field Level Media
