Cavaliers Rally Past Pacers Behind Donovan Mitchell’s 38

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-108 on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at Rocket Arena, with Donovan Mitchell leading all scorers with 38 points in a comeback win. Cleveland closed the game on a strong fourth quarter, turning a three-point deficit entering the final period into a nine-point victory.

Quarter-by-quarter breakdown

First quarter

Indiana opened efficiently and edged Cleveland 32-31 in the first 12 minutes. The Pacers got early scoring balance and enough perimeter production to stay in front, while the Cavaliers kept pace behind Mitchell’s shot creation and steady half-court offense.

Second quarter

The Pacers added to their lead in the second, outscoring Cleveland 26-24 to take a 58-55 advantage into halftime. Indiana continued to move the ball well and got to the free throw line, while Cleveland stayed within reach by limiting the gap on the glass and keeping the offense organized.

Third quarter

Cleveland began to shift the game after halftime. The Cavaliers won the third quarter 35-33, trimming the deficit to 91-90 entering the fourth. Mitchell remained the central force offensively, and Cleveland’s scoring rhythm improved as the home team found more success from the field.

Fourth quarter

The deciding stretch belonged to the Cavaliers. Cleveland outscored Indiana 27-17 in the fourth quarter, tightened up defensively, and converted enough perimeter looks to take control late. After trailing for much of the night, the Cavaliers delivered their best two-way stretch when the game mattered most.

Key performers

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: Mitchell led all scorers with 38 points while adding 6 rebounds and 6 assists, giving Cleveland the top-end production it needed to complete the rally.

Thomas Bryant, Cavaliers: Bryant led Cleveland with 10 rebounds and helped the Cavaliers finish with a 46-43 edge on the glass.

James Harden, Cavaliers: Harden paced the Cavaliers with 7 assists as Cleveland finished with 26 total assists on 43 made field goals.

Micah Potter, Pacers: Potter delivered Indiana’s top individual line with 21 points and 12 rebounds, recording a double-double in the loss.

Kobe Brown, Pacers: Brown led Indiana with 5 assists as the Pacers totaled 28 assists despite a difficult fourth quarter.

NerdSports Stat: Cleveland won this game by nine despite trailing after each of the first three quarters, becoming the rare team to give up 91 points through three periods and still finish with a multi-possession regulation win thanks to a 10-point swing in the fourth.

Game analysis

This game turned on Cleveland’s late defensive control and overall shooting efficiency. The Cavaliers shot 46.7 percent from the field compared with Indiana’s 38.4 percent, and that gap became more important as the pace settled in the second half. Even though the Pacers made one more three-pointer and also finished with more assists, Cleveland’s superior shot-making inside the arc helped balance out those differences.

Indiana also did solid work at the line, going 25-for-29 on free throws, but the Pacers could not sustain their offense in the final quarter. After scoring at least 26 points in each of the first three periods, Indiana was held to 17 in the fourth. That drop gave Cleveland the opening it needed.

The Cavaliers were not dominant from deep at 34.0 percent, but they generated enough volume to stay connected before the fourth-quarter push. Cleveland attempted 47 threes and made 16, while also finishing with a slight rebounding edge and enough playmaking to keep the floor spaced around Mitchell’s scoring.

For Indiana, the main issue was finishing possessions with quality looks late. The Pacers put themselves in position to win by leading after three quarters, but their field-goal percentage across the full game left little margin for error. Once Cleveland increased the pressure in the fourth, Indiana’s offense slowed and the lead disappeared quickly.

Closing context

The win moves Cleveland to 49-29, an important late-season result as the Cavaliers continue their push in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Indiana fell to 18-60 and remains near the bottom of the conference standings. For Cleveland, this was the kind of closing performance that can matter in the final week of the regular season: steady offense from its lead scorer, enough support on the glass, and a fourth quarter that changed the outcome.

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