NBA Playoffs: Pacers expanded its advantage against Cavs and Thunder level against Nuggets

Indiana Pacers He got a comfortable victory against Cleveland Cavaliers And it was 3-1 at a advantage in the series, one step away from advancing to the finals of the Eastern Conference. For its part, Oklahoma City Thunder won a triumph against Denver Nuggets In a very complicated party, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander The top scorer, and left the equalized tie 2-2.

Indiana Pacers humiliated this Sunday for 129-109 to Cleveland Cavaliers, number 1 of the East, which is on the edge of the abyss with a 3-1 against in its series of conference semifinals.

The Pacers were 41 up to the break, an authentic show that was embodied in an 80-39 on the scoreboard.

The bad news accumulated to rest to the cavaliers, who lost their star, Donovan Mitchell for a left ankle injury suffered while heating.

Pascal Siakam scored 21 points for the Pacers, Myles Turner contributed 20, the same as Obi Toppin. Tyrese Haliburton, who had had a last Funesto game, scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

For Cleveland, Darius Garland, in his second game after returning from the left foot injury, scored 21 points. Isaac Okoro made 13 and Donovan Mitchell 12.

Cleveland now faces an almost impossible mission: tracing a 3-1 in some playoffs is a feat that has only been achieved on 13 occasions of 293 in the history of the NBA.

Of those 13, only one was in some finals: the Cavaliers themselves, which in 2016, with LeBron James in command, snatched the ring from the Golden State Warriors of Stephen Curry.

The fifth game of the series will be played on Tuesday in Cleveland. If necessary, the sixth would be Thursday in Indianapolis.

The cavs had won the previous duel in Indiana after falling into the first two in Cleveland, a victory that gave air to one of the favorites to the ring after finishing as the best team in the east in the regular season.

Oklahoma City Thunder was strengthened on Saturday of a very hard game and absolutely thick attacks, defeated Denver Nuggets for 92-87 and recovered the court factor with 2-2 in this semifinal of the West.

Those of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, who were the best team of the regular season, will face the fifth game this Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Unlike his tight and painful defeats in the first and third encounter of this series, the Thunder did know how to move in a tight end to seal the victory.

It was not easy. The duel was a fight between two sets unable to score with a minimum of fluidity and in which 9 Shai points in the last quarter were fundamental.

The favorite to the MVP this year ended with 25 points (8 of 19 in field shots with 0 of 5 in triples), 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jalen Williams was not fine (10 points with 2 of 13) and Cet Holmgren (8 points and 13 rebounds) did not shine, but in the Thunder the contribution of the substitutes was decisive: Alex Caruso (10 points), Aaron Wiggins (11 points) and Cason Wallace (11 points).

In the Nuggets, which only had 8 points of their substitutes, Nikola Jokic finished with 27 points (7 of 22 in shots with 2 of 8 in triples), 13 rebounds and 3 assists. He was accompanied by Jamal Murray (17 points with 5 of 15) and Christian Braun (17 points).

But beyond individual statistics, what stood out was the generalized and amazing mistake on both sides with 35.6% in field shots for Oklahoma City against 31.2% of Denver. The two teams failed from Triple with 10 of 41 (24.4%) for Thunder and 11 of 45 (also 24.4%) for Nuggets.