Pacers’ Rick Carlisle On Game 5: We Respect Heck Out Of Cavs Fans, Lot Of Work Still To Do

May 12, 2025

Even after his team authored one of the most lopsided halves in NBA playoff history and delivered a 129-109 thrashing of the Cavaliers on Sunday night, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle refused to entertain any notion of celebration.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Carlisle told reporters after the Game 4 win, which gave Indiana a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Pacers bolted to an 80-39 halftime lead — the largest at the break in NBA playoff history — and never looked back. They forced 14 Cavaliers turnovers in the first half while holding Cleveland to just eight made field goals, tying a postseason record for the largest halftime advantage. Yes, even bigger than any Reggie Miller-era moment, even if it didn’t feel quite as dramatic.

But Carlisle, the veteran coach who has seen everything there is to see in May basketball, wasn’t blinking. He continued to pound the “underdog” drum that’s defined Indiana’s playoff run, even as his team sits one win away from a second consecutive trip to the conference finals.

“We’re going to keep approaching this like we have everything to prove,” Carlisle said. “We know people don’t believe in us… all that stuff about the score, it’s meaningless now. It’s history. What matters is staying in the moment.”

Staying in the moment might be tough for anyone who watched the first 24 minutes. The Pacers made it look easy — bullying Cleveland on both ends and neutralizing everything that worked for the Cavaliers in Game 3.

Indiana hit 60% of its shots against Cleveland’s zone defense, which had flustered them two nights earlier. Obi Toppin, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner all had big nights, and the Pacers moved the ball with rhythm and confidence.

“They set the tone, we followed,” said guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had a modest line (11 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) but led with presence. “Coach is a savant with adjustments. That intensity, especially after a loss, it’s contagious.”

Meanwhile, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t mince words.

“Complete domination by them,” Atkinson said. “That’s kind of the story. In every facet.”

The Cavaliers got 21 points from Darius Garland, but little else. Evan Mobley was quiet with 10 points, and Jarrett Allen finished with just 2 points and 2 rebounds — a stat line that almost underscored Cleveland’s lack of physical resistance.

Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs’ lone All-Star, sat out with a sore left ankle and was scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday. His absence loomed large — and could loom even larger with the series heading back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Tuesday.

“They raised their game to another level, and we didn’t match it,” Atkinson said. “We knew it was coming, but sometimes knowing and responding are two different things.”

Indiana’s 129 points tied its high for the postseason, and the way they’ve shared the scoring load — with seven players in double figures — speaks volumes about the trust and tempo that’s defined their postseason identity.

“They came out swinging,” Atkinson said. “We never recovered.”

Now, it’s the Cavs who will need to do the swinging. Down 3-1 and possibly without their best player, they face elimination on their home floor. The Pacers, for all their edge and energy, know Game 5 could be their toughest yet.

“There’s going to be a big haymaker coming,” Carlisle said. “We respect the heck out of their fans and what they’ve got going there. A lot of work to do.”