Indiana Pacers beat Cleveland Cavaliers by a dozen in preseason tilt, key plays and moments

The Pacers and Cavs battled on Thursday night

Oct 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers returned to the hardwood on Thursday night as they battled the Cleveland Cavaliers. It marked the final road exhibition game for the blue and gold, who return home later this week.

The Pacers got Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson back from injury for the action. Both centers missed the team's preseason opener on Tuesday, which changed things significantly from a rotation perspective. With Turner back, last year's starting five was all available for the blue and gold.

The Cavaliers and Pacers both have a chance to win the Central Division this season. Here's what went down in their preseason tilt.

First Quarter

• Isaac Okoro scored the first basket of the game for the Cavs, then scored again while being fouled by Pascal Siakam to give Cleveland a 5-0 lead.
• Tyrese Haliburton hit a three-point shot to open the scoring for the Pacers. It stopped a 7-0 Cavs start.
• Turner took a few shots in a row, mostly because he was open but once due to the shot clock winding down. He had five of Indiana's first eight points.
• Haliburton found Siakam in transition for a dunk that gave Indiana their first lead at 13-12.
• Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, and Obi Toppin were the first three Pacers players in off the bench. Jarace Walker joined them a few minutes later.
• Walker had a few nice attacks and scored four points in a row to guide Indiana to a 21-18 lead.
• The Cavs answered the Walker run with eight-straight points to climb back ahead.
• Mathurin hit a shot at the buzzer of the first period.

Score after one period: Cavaliers 31, Pacers 28.

Second Quarter

• The game continued to go back-and-forth early in the second quarter. Mathurin was playing well and making plays.
• Mathurin and Walker, two recent lottery picks, had strong first halves. It was 46-41 Pacers with 7:25 until halftime.
• Indiana started to find their rhythm after making a few substitutions. A lineup primarily built with starters gave the Pacers 50 points while the Cavs had 43.
• Jackson made his preseason debut with about five minutes left in the second quarter. He was joined in the frontcourt by Siakam and Toppin in a bigger lineup.
• Walker exited with nine points, three rebounds, and two assists without missing a shot in the first half. He was great for Indiana.
• Jarrett Allen was causing problems for the blue and gold. The former All-Star center was pressuring the rim and setting good screens for Cleveland.
• The bigger Pacers lineup wasn't getting many stops, and the hosts grabbed the lead at 58-57 later in the period. Haliburton had a quick answer, though.
• Both teams were scoring with ease in the final minutes of the first half.

Score after two frames: Cavaliers 70, Pacers 69. Turner led the Pacers with 12 points at the break.

Third Quarter

• The Pacers began the second half with their starters on the bench. The second unit opened the half with a quick eight points, and Mathurin scored six of them.
• Allen was on the bench for the Cavs to begin the third quarter.
• Indiana looked better on both ends to open the second half. Their bench was finding success , and Jackson hit a tidy jumper from outside of his old range.
• With the Pacers up by double digits, rookie forward Enrique Freeman entered the game. The 50th overall pick is an Ohio native, and he had family in attendance.
• Mathruin continued to dominate on offense and reached 25 points in under 19 minutes of action. He was 8/12 from the field at the time. His 25th point put the Pacers up by a dozen.
• With just over 3.5 minutes left in the third period, Indiana turned to a reserve group featuring Ben Sheppard, James Wiseman, Freeman, Tristen Newton, and Cole Swider.
• Newton scored a quick five points on jump shots to keep the Cavs away.

Score after three quarters: Pacers 101, Cavaliers 88

Fourth Quarter

• Wiseman opened the fourth quarter scoring with a putback dunk, then threw down another one on the next possession after a Freeman block.
• The Pacers were playing with force on the glass in the fourth quarter, which helped them stay ahead.
• Swider was more than willing to let it fly when he was open in this game, but his shot was off. He started 0/5.
• Wiseman and Freeman together were a dominant rebounding duo. They had 15 combined in their first 9:10 together.
• Quenton Jackson and Kendall Brown entered the game for the first time with 6:55 to go.
• The Cavs went on an 8-2 run that wrapped up with 3:40 to go and the hosts trailing by a dozen. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout to talk things over. He hoped to secure the win.
• After missing his first seven shots, Swider hit a three that was essentially the dagger with about two minutes to go.
• Freeman left the game with an injury with about 1:38 to go. He went back to the locker room with help from James Johnson.
• Kendall Brown hit both of his shots down the stretch.

The game finished with a final score of 129-117. Mathurin's 25 points led the way. Indiana next plays a preseason game on Monday when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.

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• Indiana Pacers young wing Ben Sheppard is impressive during training camp, studying his own teammates to improve. CLICK HERE.
• Andrew Nembhard shines during Indiana Pacers 2024 FanJam plus other scrimmage thoughts. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers GM Chad Buchanan on Myles Turner's future: 'We want him to be here'. CLICK HERE.
• Key moments from Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks as preseason action kicked off. CLICK HERE.
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