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Pacers Advance to Eastern Finals as Thunder Close in on Western Showdown

Posted : 14 May 2025

The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year after defeating the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers 114-105 in Game 5. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 31 points and eight assists, helping the Pacers close out the semi-final series with a 4-1 win.

 

Head coach Rick Carlisle praised Cleveland's regular season but emphasized Indiana's timely surge, saying, "The winning team writes the script." The Pacers now await the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, with Boston currently holding a 3-1 lead.

 

Cleveland had swept the Miami Heat in the previous round but struggled to match the Pacers' pace and intensity. Despite Donovan Mitchell’s strong performance with 35 points, the Cavaliers failed to deliver in three crucial home games.

 

Mitchell expressed disappointment, admitting, "We let the city down. We let each other down." The loss brought an abrupt end to a season in which Cleveland had dominated the Eastern Conference standings.

 

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder edged closer to the finals with a 112-105 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, while Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander hit critical late three-pointers to seal the victory.

 

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic tallied 44 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to stop the Thunder's momentum. Interim Denver coach David Adelman called the loss "heavy" and stressed the need for a quick recovery before Game 6.

 

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised Gilgeous-Alexander's composure under pressure, noting how he rose to the occasion in key moments. "He got cooler and just kind of settled into it," Daigneault said. With the chance to close out the series on Friday, the Thunder are now just one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals and continuing their deep playoff run.

 

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