May 14 (UPI) — Donovan Mitchell sat in disbelief after a loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, telling reporters that the Cleveland Cavaliers “let the city down” with their playoff elimination.
Mitchell totaled 35 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the 114-105 loss Tuesday in Cleveland. The top-seeded Cavaliers were outshot 50% to 38.9%, including a 42.9% to 25.7% disparity from 3-point range, in the series finale.
“I love playing in this arena, man,” Mitchell said. “That energy, that crowd. We were 0-3 at home. We let the city down. This place is special. This place is really special. We didn’t get it done, especially at home. That’s what hurts.”
The Cavaliers dropped the first two games of the series in Cleveland. They beat the Pacers 126-104 in Game 3 on Friday in Indianapolis. The Pacers won Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis before closing out the series on the road.
The Cavaliers went 64-18, posting the second-best record in the NBA this season and the second-best record in franchise history. They led the league with 121.9 points per game and ranked second with a 49.1% field goal percentage and 38.3% 3-point percentage. They also tied the Pacers for the third-fewest turnovers (13.2) per game.
“We took a step in the right direction, but we didn’t win a championship,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t complete the end goal. There is no moral victories here. We just didn’t get the job done.”
The Pacers outshot the Cavaliers 50.4% to 42.6% in the series. They hit 42.1% of their shots from 3-point range, compared to the Cavaliers’ 29.4% clip. The Pacers averaged 29.4 assists and 14.6 turnovers per game in the series. The Cavaliers averaged 20.6 assists and 13.8 turnovers.
Cleveland led by as many as 19 points in Tuesday’s series finale, but went cold late. Th team was outshot 60% to 30.8% over the final 24 minutes after outshooting the Pacers 50% to 40.5% in the first half.
Game 5 had four lead changes and was tied twice, with three of those lead changes in the first quarter. The Cavaliers went on a 12-2 run late in the quarter and carried a 31-19 lead into the second frame.
Mitchell poured in 13 points over the first 12 minutes, while Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley chipped in 10. The Cavaliers pushed their lead to 19 midway through the second quarter. The Pacers responded with a 16-4 run to cut into the deficit, but still trailed 56-52 at the break.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 15 of his 31 points in the second quarter. The Cavaliers scored the first four points of the second half, but went on to allow a 21-2 run and never led again.
The Pacers outshot the Cavaliers 63.6% to 26.9% in the third quarter. The Cavaliers made just 7 of their 26 attempts in the quarter.
Mitchell poured in 16 points over the final 12 minutes. The Cavaliers narrowed the deficit to a single point several times down the stretch, but could not complete their rally.
The fourth-seeded Pacers will face the No. 2 Boston Celtics or No. 3 New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks lead that series 3-1. Game 5 will tip off at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Boston.
