The Indiana Pacers could have had plenty of excuses had they not won this game. They were playing the second game of a back-to-back against a team that had been off for two days. The Pacers still without arguably their best player. Indiana was also playing against the best player on Earth and his Cleveland Cavaliers, the defending Eastern Conference Champions.
None of these excuses were needed.
Indiana played its best game of the young season, pulling away from Cleveland with a 13-2 run to end the game. The Pacers held the lead most of the night and answered each of the Cavs’ runs with precise ball movement and quality shot selection.