Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Beat Donovan Mitchell, Cavs, Thrill NBA Fans in Game 1 Win

The Indiana Pacers started the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs with an upset victory, taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers by the final score of 121-112 in Game 1 on Sunday.

With the Pacers trailing 102-101 and just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tyrese Haliburton helped spark a 15-4 run that put the game out of reach.

Haliburton was stellar on both ends of the floor, finishing with 22 points and 13 assists compared to just one turnover. He shot 9-of-15 from the field while racking up three blocks and one steal.

Fans and former players alike were impressed with the performance from Haliburton.

Fans also praised Indiana's impressive start to the series.

The majority of the game was a back-and-forth affair, featuring 13 lead changes prior to Indiana's late run.

Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points, shooting 70 percent from the field and hitting five of his six three-point attempts.

Donovan Mitchell was exceptional inside the arc for the Cavs, scoring a game-high 33 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

Mitchell shot just 1-of-11 from three-point territory, though.

Long-range shooting was the difference in the contest, as the Pacers connected on 52.8 percent of their shots from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Cleveland shot 23.7 percent on triples.

The Cavaliers will now look to bounce back in Game 2 on Tuesday night, while the Pacers will be attempting to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.