Darius Garland and the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27) took on Malcolm Brogdon and the Indiana Pacers (22-45) during the NBA Tuesday slate. It was the Cavs who came out on top with 127-124 being the final score.
Injuries have become a significant issue for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. First, Collin Sexton had suffered a season-ending ACL tear followed by Ricky Rubio (no longer with team) experiencing one of his own.
Jarrett Allen is sidelined indefinitely with a broken thumb while Caris LeVert also continued to be out of the lineup. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are the main starters still available that consistently make a big impact.
It has been a tough season for the Indiana Pacers, who ultimately opted to undergo the rebuilding process by making moves at the NBA trade deadline to part with some veteran players like Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis.
LATEST NBA NEWS, SCORES & HIGHLIGHTS: Cavaliers vs Pacers Tuesday: Lineups, Injury Reports & Broadcast Info
Right now, they are evaluating how the Malcolm Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton backcourt fits together.
Garland led the way with a career-high 41 points and 13 assists while also coming in clutch with a pair of free throws with around 14 seconds remaining left—giving the Cavaliers enough of a push to win.
The Pacers had a chance to win late as they were up 124-122 with 40 seconds to play. A “coaching staff error” led to Jalen Smith fouling Garland for his game-sealing free throws.
LATEST NBA NEWS, SCORES & HIGHLIGHTS: Cavaliers vs Pacers Tuesday: Lineups, Injury Reports & Broadcast Info
The Cavaliers received 20-point outings from Evan Mobley (22) and Lauri Markkanen (21) in addition to Garland while the team as a whole struggled largely to convert from beyond the arc.
It was a balanced scoring outing for the Indiana Pacers with all but one of their nine players to receive minutes reaching double-figures. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 25 points and nine assists.
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