Cavaliers Dominate Pacers in Game 3: Mitchell Drops 43 Points to Shift Playoff Series Momentum

Cavs Bounce Back in Style: Mitchell Unleashes 43 on Pacers

The Cavaliers sent a message loud and clear to the Indiana Pacers and anyone watching: they’re not ready to bow out of the playoffs just yet. Roared on by a packed arena, Cleveland delivered a statement win, stomping the Pacers 126-104 in Game 3 to trim the series gap to 2-1. The real headline? Donovan Mitchell looked practically unstoppable, torching Indiana with 43 points, pulling down 9 rebounds, and firing off 5 assists, showing why he’s the anchor for this squad.

From the opening tip, the Cavs came out flying. The first quarter set the tone as Cleveland rattled off an 11-point run before the Pacers knew what hit them. The energy in the building was electric, and the team fed off it. Head coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first playoff run with the Cavaliers, hammered home the basics to his players: own the glass and take care of the ball. And his message hit home—Cleveland grabbed 19 more possessions than Indiana, crashing for offensive boards and cleaning up on defense.

This time around, it wasn’t just about talent; it was the grit, the hustle plays, and moments where the Cavaliers outhustled the Pacers to every loose ball. Mitchell put on a show, sure, but it wasn’t just him. Max Strus caught fire from the wing, keeping Indiana’s defenders honest with sharp perimeter shooting. Even when the Pacers finally started to claw back midway through the fourth—trimming the lead to 11 with only eight minutes to play—the Cavaliers refused to let the pressure get to them. Atkinson wasted no time putting his starters back in, and they iced the game down the stretch.

Mitchell’s highlight reel was something to see: a spinning layup in traffic followed by back-to-back clutch threes kept momentum solidly on Cleveland’s side. Whenever Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton or Pascal Siakam tried to spark a rally, the Cavaliers simply answered right back, nipping any hopes of a comeback in the bud.

What’s Next: Shift Back to Cleveland

The win isn’t just about putting numbers on the scoreboard—it shifted the mood of the entire series. All of a sudden, the Cavaliers don’t seem like the underdogs everyone expected them to be. Now, as the action heads back to Cleveland, there’s a real sense of belief in the locker room. The Pacers, who looked so composed in the first two games, couldn’t keep up with the Cavs’ Cleveland Cavaliers turned-up aggression.

Fans will be watching to see if Mitchell can keep up this white-hot pace, or if Indiana has an answer waiting for him in Game 4. Either way, the playoff drama is heating up, and this series just got a whole lot more interesting.