All is not well with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will carry a three-game losing streak and a ton of frustration into their Monday matchup against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
Payton Pritchard erupted for 15 of his season-high 42 points in the fourth quarter Sunday, allowing the visiting Boston Celtics to beat Cleveland 117-115. The Cavaliers fell behind by 21 in the third before getting as close as one point in the closing seconds.
Evan Mobley, who missed a 21-footer at the buzzer that could have forced overtime, said coach Kenny Atkinson designed a play to get the ball to Darius Garland for a potential game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining.
Boston threw a different defensive look at Cleveland, thwarting the plan. Curiously, Atkinson had franchise player Donovan Mitchell inbound the ball, even though he had made back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 45 ticks.
“We can’t go down 20, then turn it up in the third and fourth quarter,” said Mobley, who had 27 points and 14 rebounds. “We’ve got to find a way to kick into that gear earlier. Everybody wants to do better and be the best we can. Right now, we’re not.”
The Cavaliers haven’t dropped four in a row since March 16-21, 2025, and are in just their third three-game skid over the last 106 contests. After earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season, they are currently in a play-in tournament spot.
Six-time All-Star shooting guard Mitchell and Garland did not speak with the media before leaving the arena, leaving Mobley and second-year forward Jaylon Tyson to talk for the team.
“It’s a big problem that started last year, we never start off good — ever — and we need to adjust that mindset,” Tyson said. “We see and we talk about it over and over again, and we don’t execute. I feel like other teams want it more than us.”
After starting the season 2-16, the Pacers have won two straight for the first time. Pascal Siakam drained a midrange jumper Saturday to give Indiana a 103-101 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Siakam finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, continuing to anchor the roster with point guard Tyrese Haliburton in street clothes while recovering from Achilles surgery.
“I knew I was getting the ball and got to the open spot,” Siakam said. “I used the pump fake. I probably made that shot over my brother a thousand times in the summer, so you just trust your instincts.”
The Pacers began their four-game homestand Friday with a 119-86 rout of the Washington Wizards in the NBA Cup. Journeyman center Jay Huff started both wins, totaling 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots.
Huff was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies on July 6 in a trade for two second-round draft picks, but he has made a significant impact and leads the league in blocks at 2.25 per game.
“We always knew we were better than we were playing, but we knew we’d get there,” Huff said. “We did what we needed to do. We’ve got to learn how to win ugly, I guess, but you grind it out and find a way.
“Shots will fall or not fall, but if our defense is solid, we’ll be all right.”
