The Indiana Pacers steamrolled the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 on Sunday to seize a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, while the Oklahoma City Thunder muscled past the Denver Nuggets 92-87 to level the Western showdown at 2-2.
It was all Indiana in Indianapolis.
The Pacers blitzed Cleveland with a 17-0 second-quarter run en route to an 80-39 halftime lead, leaving the top-seeded Cavaliers stunned and scrambling.
Pascal Siakam poured in 21 points and led a balanced attack with seven Indiana players in double digits.
Myles Turner and Obi Toppin chipped in 20 apiece, and Tyrese Haliburton added 11, including a no-look dime that set the home crowd roaring.
But it was more than just offense – the Pacers forced 22 Cleveland turnovers and converted them into 35 points.
Cleveland’s hopes dimmed further when star guard Donovan Mitchell, who had erupted for back-to-back 40-point nights earlier in the series, limped off with a left ankle injury after managing just 12 first-half points.
He was ruled doubtful at halftime and will undergo an MRI Monday. His availability for Game 5 remains uncertain.
Tempers flared early. Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin was ejected in the first quarter after punching De’Andre Hunter in the chest. Hunter and Turner both picked up technicals during the scuffle.
“This is a group that responds to adversity,” Turner said. “We got punched in the mouth last game, and we punched back harder.”
Game 5 heads back to Cleveland on Tuesday – with the Cavs on the ropes and potentially without their best player.
In Denver, points came at a premium in a bruising, low-scoring brawl.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists as Oklahoma City clawed out a gritty Game 4 win. Neither side found offensive rhythm – OKC shot just 35.6%, while the Nuggets fared worse at 31.3%.
But it was the Thunder who made the game’s biggest plays down the stretch.
After trailing by as many as eight in the fourth quarter, OKC surged ahead on a clutch Cason Wallace three-pointer with 8:35 remaining.
From there, they locked down defensively, holding Denver to just 18 points in the final period.
“We got stops when it mattered,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough.”
Nikola Jokic posted 27 points and 13 boards, but the reigning MVP lacked help. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each scored 17 for Denver, who appeared to run out of gas less than 48 hours after an overtime win in Game 3.
“I thought both teams had tired legs,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman. “In a really ugly basketball game, they made just enough plays.”
Game 5 shifts to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, where the Thunder will look to ride momentum in a series that’s become a battle of attrition.
