Indiana

Short Handed Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat Indiana Pacers 108-103

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2024

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

7. Notes

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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.

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Indiana

Why Indiana football regretted one Fernando Mendoza play

Published

4 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Why Indiana football regretted one Fernando Mendoza play

ATLANTA — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza has burned teams throughout the College Football Playoff with his scrambling ability.

Mendoza was lights out through the air in a 56-22 win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Friday night, but he made a handful of plays with his legs again starting with a 21-yard gain early in the second quarter that helped the No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) flip the field.

Mendoza’s sneaky athleticism has put pressure on defenses already struggling to contain IU’s impressive arsenal of skill players, but there came a time in the CFP semifinals where the coaching staff asked him to put that scrambling ability in his back pocket and keep it there.

“Coach (Chandler) Whitmer was in his ear about getting down as quickly as possible,” Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan told The Herald-Times.

Re-live IU’s 2025 season

The Heisman winner had the large contingent of IU fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium holding their breath while he was weaving through defenders and taking hits with his team up by four possessions coming out of halftime.

Mendoza lost the ball in the third quarter while getting tripped up from behind on a run up the middle after busting out a spin move on the play to gain extra yards.

While the coaching staff appreciates Mendoza’s competitiveness, they didn’t want him putting himself at risk with the team less than two quarters away from playing in the national title game.

“We were very conscious (of the situation),” Shanahan said after the game.

Mendoza had one more carry after that off an RPO near the goal line right after IU blocked a punt. It was a play call that Shanahan immediately regretted with Oregon loading up the box.

“That wasn’t the best position to put him in,” he said.

Mendoza closed out the game for the Hoosiers under center by simply handing the ball off while the Hoosiers put the finishing touches on another lopsided win. He threw for 177 yards (17 of 20) and finished the game with more passing touchdowns (five) than incompletions (three) for the sixth time this season.

Oregon’s Dan Lanning had high praise for Mendoza’s overall performance after the game, but he became the latest in a long line of opposing coaches to mention his scrambling ability in the same breath as his arm talent.

“The guy makes the right decisions,” Lanning said. “You consistently see if he sees the right coverage, you know, he takes the ball where it’s supposed to go, dictated by coverage. I think he did a great job again on the scrambles early. I thought we had him boxed up in the third down early in the game, which was critical and was able to scramble for a first down.”

Shanahan underlined Mendoza’s decision-making as well in talking about the growth he’s seen from the quarterback this season and his improvisational skills (and when to use them) are a big part of that.

“He makes my life and my job so much easier,” Shanahan said. “I think he’s playing his best ball right now. I don’t know if that was the confidence he got from winning Heisman or beating Ohio State, I feel like we are on the right path. We got one more to go.”

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.

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Indiana

Live updates: Indiana vs. Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal

Published

16 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Live updates: Indiana vs. Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal

Atlanta will host a top-five Big Ten rematch in the Peach Bowl on Friday. No. 1 Indiana will take on No. 5 Oregon in a semifinal of the College Football Playoff for a chance to compete for a national championship. The Hoosiers won the regular-season matchup 30-20. This is the fifth all-time meeting between the teams, with the series tied 2-2.

Both defenses have proved stout, making the offenses the biggest determining factor in this game. Indiana is second in scoring defense, while Oregon is close behind at sixth. The Hoosiers have the advantage on the line, giving up the third-fewest rushing yards in the nation. Oregon, however, has the edge in the air, allowing the ninth-fewest passing yards. The Ducks also pitched a shutout in the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech.

The Hoosiers didn’t skip a beat on offense, handing Alabama its first 30-point loss this side of the new millennium. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was highly efficient, going 14-of-16 with three touchdowns and no interceptions. That efficiency has helped Indiana earn the top seed; the Hoosiers have committed the fewest penalties of any CFP team and have the fourth-fewest penalty yards in the nation.

Oregon, meanwhile, struggled to score for most of its quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech. The Ducks didn’t reach the end zone until 11:20 remained in the third quarter and rushed for just 64 yards. Dante Moore threw for 234 yards but had no touchdowns, an interception and minus-12 rushing yards due to constant pressure.

Indiana is the favorite, but Oregon has been one of the strongest units in the country, with its lone loss coming against the Hoosiers. Will the Ducks learn from their earlier mistakes, or will Indiana continue one of the most dominant runs of the CFP era?

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Indiana

Rematch history in CFP and BCS favors Oregon vs. Indiana in Peach Bowl

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Rematch history in CFP and BCS favors Oregon vs. Indiana in Peach Bowl

The College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Peach Bowl marks a rematch of No. 1 seed Indiana’s 30-20 win against No. 5 Oregon in October, the first of several results this year that have left the Hoosiers knocking on the door of a historic and unbeaten season.

With two more wins, Indiana would become the first 16-0 national champion since Yale in 1894. But in order to make history, the Hoosiers will need to reverse some recent history.

Since the 1996 season, there have been seven regular-season rematches in the College Football Playoff and in national championship games played under the two previous postseason formats, the Bowl Championship Series and the Bowl Alliance. Four of these pairings have occurred since the playoff expanded last season.

Surprisingly, all but one of these games have seen the loser from the regular season rebound to win the rematch. This could be a coincidence. At a minimum, though, this trend shows the difficulties in defeating an elite opponent twice in under a four-month span.

The Hoosiers look to buck that recent history. Here’s a look back at these rematches and what they might suggest about the Peach Bowl:

Ole Miss vs. Georgia, 2025

Results: Georgia 43-35, Ole Miss 39-34.

Ole Miss led Georgia in the second half when the two met in October but coughed up a lead for its one and only loss on the year. The two SEC rivals met again in the Sugar Bowl earlier this month, with the Rebels pulling out the win on a late field goal. Unlike during the regular season, Ole Miss landed a big game from Trinidad Chambliss and did much better running the ball, indicating how teams can strategize by looking back and evaluating the previous matchup.

Ole Miss vs. Tulane, 2025

Results: Ole Miss 45-10, Ole Miss 41-10.

Here’s the one outlier. The Rebels stampeded over Tulane at home in September and then did the same in the opening round. The one difference: Lane Kiffin was the head coach for the first game and Pete Golding for the second. In this case, a significant edge in talent was the biggest factor in helping Ole Miss defy recent history.

Oklahoma vs. Alabama, 2025

Results: Oklahoma 23-21, Alabama 34-24.

Again, an SEC rematch that reversed the regular-season result. Oklahoma’s win in November sparked its run to the playoff. That seemed to carry over to the opening round, when the Sooners stormed out to a 17-0 lead. But the Tide crawled back to tie for the biggest comeback in playoff history.

Oregon vs. Ohio State, 2024

Results: Oregon 32-31, Ohio State 41-21.

Oregon narrowly pulled out the win in Autzen Stadium and then went on to post a perfect regular season, earning the top seed in the debut of the expanded playoff. But in the Rose Bowl the Ducks ran into a buzzsaw in the Buckeyes, who stormed out to a 34-0 late in the second quarter and won going away. A year later, Oregon hopes to follow Ohio State’s blueprint and score the upset against the unbeaten Big Ten champs.

Alabama vs. Georgia, 2021

Results: Alabama 42-24, Georgia 33-18.

The Tide knocked off then-unbeaten Georgia in the SEC championship game behind 421 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Bryce Young. That landed Alabama in the four-team playoff as the No. 1 seed, while Georgia slotted in at No. 3. The pair met in the championship game after beating Cincinnati and Michigan, respectively, and the Bulldogs would hold Young to 6.5 yards per throw and make two picks to take the first of back-to-back titles.

LSU vs. Alabama, 2011

Results: LSU 9-6, Alabama 21-0

The Tigers’ overtime win during the regular season was about as ugly as the score suggests with five field goals being the only scores. The rematch in the title game about two months later wasn’t any better. Alabama’s defense barely allowed LSU to cross midfield in this second meeting to win the second of Nick Saban’s six titles in Tuscaloosa.

Results: Florida State 24-21, Florida 52-20.

No other rematch has come within such a short time frame. FSU topped Florida on Nov. 30 to end the regular season and drew the immediate rematch in the Sugar Bowl, which was designated as the championship game in the Bowl Alliance format, because then-No. 2 Arizona State was obligated to face No. 4 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. This time, Steve Spurrier’s Gators bombarded the Seminoles to capture the first national title in program history with the Sun Devils falling to the Buckeyes.

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