Cavaliers vs. Pacers Game 4: Indiana dominates from opening tip in 20-point win, Donovan Mitchell injured

It’s hard to imagine a game so radically different from the one the same two teams had played 48 hours before.

Friday night, the Cavaliers looked like the dominant 64-win East leaders they were this season, cruising to a 22-point win behind 43 points from Donovan Mitchell, who played like a guy deserving of First Team All-NBA.

Sunday Indiana was dominant squad, taking command from the opening tip, getting up by double-digits with 5:15 left in the first (and the game never got closer than that), led by 41 at the half, stretched that lead out to 44 at one point, and turned the second half into essentially 24 minutes of garbage time.

Indiana now has a commanding 3-1 lead in the series — and that’s potentially not even the worst news for Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell did not play in the second half due to an ankle injury. He will get an MRI when the team returns to Cleveland, coach Kenny Atkinson said. What’s most concerning is how it appeared to happen, a non-contact injury warming up for the second half (he had been playing through a calf issue, it’s unclear if it’s related).

As for Game 4 itself, Atkinson summed it up well.

“Complete domination by them,” the Cavaliers coach said. “That’s the story — in every facet.”

Pascal Siakam scored 21 points to lead Indiana, with Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each adding 20. Everything Indiana did seemed to work, they moved the ball and got open looks, and shot 42.9% from 3 for the game.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle sounded like a coach making sure his team doesn’t take its foot off the gas, heading back to Cleveland for Game 5.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Carlisle said after the win. “We’re a pretty significant underdog in every game we’ve played in this series, and that will continue til the end. And we’re going to keep approaching this like we have everything to prove.”

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 21 points, and he could have a lot more responsibility on his plate in Game 5 if Mitchell cannot play in a must-win game.