CLEVELAND — The best team in the NBA was beaten handily at home and held to under 100 points for the first time all season, two bad signs as the Cavaliers head out on a dangerous road trip.
The Indiana Pacers are hot, too, but they are just the second team this season to beat the Cavs in their building, claiming a 108-93 victory Sunday to snap Cleveland’s 12-game winning streak. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 19 points and Darius Garland scored a team-high 20 for Cleveland.
The Cavs, who entered with the league’s top-rated offense, best overall shooting percentage and best 3-point shooting percentage, were limited to, by far, their lowest point total of the season and shot just 40 percent from the field (and 27 from 3-point range). Cleveland led by 15 early in the third quarter but managed just 18 points in the quarter and 40 for the half.
Indiana is not necessarily known for its defense — ranked 21st entering play — but pressured the Cavs into 13 turnovers that became 20 points. The Pacers won without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the entire second half with left hamstring tightness.
Cleveland (33-5) still has the best record in the NBA, but this was not the start to a tough week schedule-wise the Cavs were looking for. They start a three-game road trip Tuesday at Indiana (22-18), and then on Thursday have a much-anticipated rematch with Oklahoma City (32-6). The Cavs beat the Thunder in Cleveland last week in a thriller, and OKC is just a game behind the Cavs for the best overall record.
Cleveland finishes the trip at Minnesota (20-18) on Saturday.
Haliburton scored just two points in 19 minutes. Pascal Siakam scored 18 points with nine rebounds for Indiana and Myles Turner added 15 points and 10 boards.
Donovan Mitchell scored 19 for Cleveland. The Cavs’ bench was outscored 42-24; Obi Toppin led the Pacers’ reserves with 12 points.
This story will be updated.
Required reading
(Photo: Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)
