Indiana
Short Handed Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat Indiana Pacers 108-103
Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN.) – Despite missing Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Dean Wade, the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-25) hand the Indiana Pacers (38-31) a 108-103 loss to conclude the three-game homestand.
1. First Quarter
Source:Getty
After a dominating second half against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, the Indiana Pacers opened the first quarter with that same level of play. Georges Niang got the scoring started with a layup to put Cleveland Cavaliers ahead. Indiana tied it, but Cleveland scored the next five points to go ahead 7-2 after a Jarrett Allen layup. The Pacers responded with a 19-3 run that featured baskets from Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell, Myles Turner, Obi Toppin, Andrew Nembhard, and Ben Sheppard. Indiana’s largest lead in the quarter would be twelve after a Siakam layup with 55.8 seconds left. After one, it was 34-25 Pacers. Siakam led all scorers with seven points followed by Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen with six points. Indiana outrebounded Cleveland 12-5 in the first quarter.
2. Second Quarter
Source:Getty
After shooting 60.9% in the first quarter, Indiana really struggled in the second quarter. The Pacers shot 33.3% from the field and 10% from three-point range. It took Cleveland three minutes and five seconds to make it a two-possession game after Allen converter two free throws. Indiana responded by going from leading 37-32, to leading 47-32 courtesy of a 10-0 run capped off by a McConnell layup. That run woke up Cleveland because the Pacers scored seven points the final 7:38. Indiana’s defense was solid, but with the shooting struggles and five turnovers, it allowed the Cavaliers to tie the game up at 54 at halftime. Former Pacer Caris LeVert went off for 13 points in the quarter to lead all scorers with 17 points. Indiana’s leading scorer was McConnell with 10 points.
3. Third Quarter
Source:Getty
As I have documented throughout the season, the Pacers have been one of the best third quarter teams all season, but tonight would not be the case. Cleveland outscored Indiana 36-29 coming out of the locker room. After just two points in the first half, Cleveland’s Darius Garland led the Cavs in scoring with 10 points for the quarter. Cleveland only had six guys score in the quarter. After a Siakam field goal to make it 59-58 Cleveland, they went on a 13-4 run to take its first double digit lead with 7:11 left in the third. Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith hit back-to-back threes and then Siakam converted a layup to make it 74-70 with 6:09 left. From there on out, the two teams just exchanged stops and field goals. After three quarters of play, Cleveland led 90-83. LeVert still led all scorers with 19 points followed by Siakam with 17 points.
4. Fourth Quarter
Source:Getty
After struggling in the third quarter, the Pacers did a solid job in the fourth quarter by not letting Cleveland push the lead back out to ten or more. The closest Cleveland got was after a Rick Carlilse technical foul, where Sam Merrill made the free throw, making it 99-90. Tyrese Haliburton and Nembhard responded with three-pointers to make it 99-96 with 6:23 remaining. LeVert then scored a layup on the following possession for Cleveland. Haliburton would make it a two-point game after scoring a field goal through contact and making the free-throw with 4:37 remaining. He then tied the game at 103 with a floater with 2:05 left in the contest. However, the Pacers simply couldn’t generate any offense and lost 108-103.
5. Top Performers
Source:Getty
Caris LeVert (23p, 11a, 8r), Jarrett Allen (23p, 9r), Marcus Morris Sr. (14p, 4 threes), Georges Niang (13p), Darius Garland (13p, 7a, 6r), and Sam Merrill (11p). For Indiana, Pascal Siakam (19p, 12r), Tyrese Haliburton (14p, 12a, 6r), T.J. McConnell (14p, 4a), Myles Turner (12p, 3r). For tonight’s full box score, click here.
6. Notes
Source:Getty
- Indiana held Cleveland to 9 points the final 9:11
- Jarrett Allen recorded 20+ points for the 17th time this season
- Cavaliers 12-5 in such games
- Caris LeVert logged his 5th double-double of the season
- LeVert scored 20+ points for the 13th time of the season
- LeVert dished out 10+ assists for the 4th time this season
- Marcus Morris played in his first game since 2/5/24 for the Philadelphia 76ers
- Was just signed to a 10-day contract on Sunday
- Pascal Siakam recorded his 12th double-double on the season
- Back-to-back games with a double-double
- 7th double-double as a Pacer
- Tyrese Haliburton recorded his 36th double-double of the season
- Haliburton dished out 10+ assists for the 41st time of the campaign
- Haliburton now shooting 11/65 (16.9%) this month from three
- Currently shooting a career low 35.9% from three
- Previously season low was last season 40.0%
- October – 33.3% (3 games)
- November – 46.7%
- December- 36.9%
- January – 30.4% (7 games)
- February – 38%
- When Haliburton returned with 8:06 left in the game, he went 3/8, 1/6 from three, and 1/1 at the free-throw line
- Other possessions:
- Andrew Nembhard three-pointer (Haliburton assist)
- Obi Toppin missed three-pointer
- Andrew Nembhard missed three-pointer
- Aaron Nesmith turnover
- Myles Turner field goal (Nembhard assist)
- Siakam turnover
- Myles Turner is 5 blocks away from setting the franchise record for blocks
- Jermaine O’Neal holds record with 1,245
- Indiana sits 7th in the Eastern Conference standings
- Trail Philadelphia 76ers by .5 game for 6th
- Trail Orlando Magic by 2.5 games for 5th
- Trail New York Knicks by 3.5 games for 4th
- .5 game advantage over Miami Heat for 8th
- 5 game advantage over Chicago Bulls for 9th
- Other possessions:
7. Notes
Source:Getty
With the three-game homestand complete, the Indiana Pacers now go on the road for five consecutive games so the NCAA Tournament can play the first two rounds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The road trip starts on Wednesday night in Detroit. Pat Boylan will start the Kroger Pregame Show at 6:30pm. Mark Boyle and Eddie Gill will have the play-by-play starting at 7pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan.
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster is on more equal footing with Miami, even though the star rankings have meant little to the final results in this year’s CFP.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 despite having no former 5-star players in the starting lineup and just one former top 100 recruit.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) will have a pair of former 5-star recruits in their starting lineup but are only starting a total of three former top-100 prospects. It’s a sharp drop off in top talent from the likes of Alabama (14), Ohio State (10) and Oregon (eight).
| Category | Indiana | Miami | Oregon | Ohio State | Alabama |
| 5-stars | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4-stars | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 9 |
| Top 100 recruits | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 2-stars or below | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Indiana’s starting lineup still leads the way in overlooked recruits — it will start nine players that ranked 2-stars or below, including starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza — but Miami almost has more (four) than IU’s past three opponents combined (five).
The Hurricanes also has a more of a transfer laden starting lineup (11) than any of Indiana’s postseason opponents.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the recruiting rankings for this year’s participants in the CFP championship game:
Re-live IU’s 2025 season
Indiana football’s quarterbacks vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Quarterback | Fernando Mendoza (2022) | 2-stars (No. 2,149) | Carson Beck (2020) | 4-stars (No. 254) |
Indiana football’s skill positions vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Wide receiver | Elijah Sarratt (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Malachi Toney (2025) | 4-stars (No. 359) |
| Wide receiver | Omar Cooper Jr. (2022) | 4-stars (No. 299) | Keelan Marion | 2-stars (No. 3,390) |
| Wide receiver | E.J. Williams Jr. (2020) | 4-stars (No. 69) | CJ Daniels (2020) | 3-stars (No. 2,450) |
| Running back | Roman Hemby (2021) | 3-stars (No. 1,767) | Mark Fletcher Jr. (2023) | 4-stars (No. 149) |
| Tight end | Riley Nowakowski (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Alex Bauman (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,770) |
Indiana football’s offensive line vs Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Left tackle | Carter Smith (2022) | 3-stars (No. 730) | Markel Bell (2022) | N/A |
| Left guard | Drew Evans (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Matthew McCoy (2022) | 3-stars (No. 735) |
| Center | Pat Coogan (2021) | 3-stars (No. 613) | James Brockermeyer (2021) | 4-stars (No. 194) |
| Right guard | Bray Lynch (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,033) | Anez Cooper (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,149) |
| Right tackle | Kahlil Benson (2020) | 3-stars (No. 714) | Francis Mauigoa (2023) | 5-stars (No. 9) |
Indiana football’s defensive line vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Defensive tackle | Mario Landino (2024) | 3-stars (No. 2,398) | Ahmad Moten Sr. (2022) | 3-stars (No. 558) |
| Defensive tackle | Tyrique Tucker (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Justin Scott (2024) | 5-stars (No. 10) |
| Defensive end | Mikail Kamara (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Rueben Bain (2023) | 4-stars (No. 62) |
| Defensive end | Stephen Daley (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,987) | Akheem Mesidor (2020) | 3-stars (No. 636) |
Indiana football’s linebackers vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Linebacker | Aiden Fisher (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Wesley Bissainthe (2022) | 4-stars (188) |
| Linebacker | Rolijah Hardy (2023) | 0-stars (N/A) | Mohamed Toure (2019) | 3-stars (No. 1,024) |
Indiana football’s secondary vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Cornerback | D’Angelo Ponds (2023) | 3-stars (No. 1,966) | OJ Frederique Jr. (2024) | 3-stars (No. 784) |
| Cornerback | Jamari Sharpe (2022) | 3-stars (No. 826) | Ethan O’Conner (2023) | 3-stars (No. 673) |
| Safety | Louis Moore (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Zechariah Poyser (2023) | N/A |
| Safety | Amare Ferrell (2022) | 3-stars (No. 578) | Jakobe Thomas (2021) | 3-stars (No. 2,048) |
| Rover | Devan Boykin (2020) | 3-stars (No. 833) | Keionte Scott (2020) | N/A |
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
The Indiana Hoosiers are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship and they have barreled through some of the best teams in college football to get there.
The National Championship Game is set, with the Indiana Hoosiers facing the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 19. The matchup was officially locked in when Indiana took down the Oregon Ducks in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, 56-22. After the Hoosiers’ 38-3 win over Alabama, I would not want to be the team standing in their path.
But for Indiana fans, they could not have asked for a better season. You can celebrate all of those big moments, from the Big Ten championship and Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman win, to the Rose Bowl victory with unique sports prints. Then, cap it off with gear at Fanatics heading into the National Championship.
Here is a look at what to shop for the latest Hoosier’s championship gear at Fanatics:
Shop Indiana Hoosiers championship gear
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Total Showdown T-Shirt
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Final Stop T-Shirt
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers ’47 College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Hitch Adjustable Hat
Shop Indiana Hoosiers Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl gear
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room T-Shirt
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Hometown Pride Hoodie
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room Rise Adjustable Hat
Michigan State narrowly escaped with a home win against the now 8–7 Northwestern Wildcats. The Spartans struggled mightily in the first half, entering the break down seven points after scoring just 28 points. Michigan State committed eight turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and went 6-of-11 from the free-throw line.
After a sluggish start, the Spartans regrouped and took control in the second half. Michigan State shot 14-of-27 from the field after halftime, playing with better pace and ball movement.
Jeremy Fears, who picked up two early fouls and began the game 0-of-4 from the field, responded with a strong second half. He finished the game shooting 4-of-7 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Overall, Michigan State was far more composed in the second half against the Wildcats. However, with a matchup against Indiana looming, the Spartans will not be able to afford another slow start like the one they experienced against Northwestern.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana has undergone a similar offseason transformation to another Big Ten opponent Michigan State has already faced: the Iowa Hawkeyes. After parting ways with head coach Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers hired former West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries.
DeVries began his head coaching career at Drake, where he posted an impressive 150–55 record. Over his final four seasons with the Bulldogs, he led the program to 108 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
DeVries also went 79–33 in Missouri Valley Conference play, captured three MVC titles, and guided Drake to six of the program’s 11 20-win seasons before leaving for West Virginia.
In his lone season with the Mountaineers, DeVries engineered a significant turnaround, improving West Virginia from a 10-win team to a 19-win team.
Now at Indiana, DeVries has continued that trend of rapid improvement. In Mike Woodson’s final season, the Hoosiers finished 19–13 and missed the NCAA Tournament. This season, Indiana has already reached 12 wins and appears firmly back in the postseason conversation.
The Hoosiers are led by senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston. Wilkerson is averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range.
Indiana has been strong on both ends of the floor. According to KenPom, the Hoosiers rank 30th nationally in offensive efficiency and 28th in defensive efficiency.
As Michigan State prepares to face Indiana, the Spartans will need to clean up their first-half execution to keep pace with one of the Big Ten’s more balanced teams. Indiana’s efficiency on both ends of the court, combined with DeVries’ proven ability to elevate programs quickly, makes this a difficult matchup. For Michigan State, a complete 40-minute performance will be essential if it hopes to build momentum in conference play.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Cam Ward when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don’t forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
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