Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers managed to get to a 2-1 series lead after winning the first two road games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In those wins, their stellar play and the absence of a few opponents combined to give them that lead. But in game 3, the return of a healthy Cavs lineup threatened to turn the series around.

In that game, Haliburton did not fare well and was ridiculed for his awful 4-point performance. More importantly, it was Donovan Mitchell and his team's overall performance that had some believing the Pacers were in trouble.

Tonight was Game 4, and the Pacers came out of the blocks, blitzing the Cavs with the hope that it would give them the edge. But late in the 1st quarter, they lost Bennedict Mathurin to an ejection after he punched De'Andre Hunter in the chest.

This could have helped the Cavs as the Pacers lost a key rotational piece. But that ejection seemed to have riled Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. They upped their ante in the second quarter and scored 42 while holding the Cavs to just 16 points. Fans and analysts could not believe that the Pacers were up 80-39 at the half.

A 41-point margin is unheard of, especially when the team in the lead won 14 fewer games in the regular season than their Central Division rivals. The Pacers then took it easier in the second half as most of the starters were shut down for the night. Haliburton finished with 11 points in 26 minutes on the floor, suggesting that the annihilation did not need them to expend any more energy.

Fans troll Cavs after miserable show against Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers

The Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games in the regular season and put together some impressive runs, winning games. Many felt this team would go on to win their first NBA title since LeBron James and his crew famously overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 championship.

This iteration of the Cavs also finds themselves in a 3-1 hole. But fans are not convinced they have the fire in them to stage a similar turnaround to win this series. They believe all the promise the Cavs displayed in the regular season is wasted in these playoffs. Check out examples of such comments below.

The Cleveland Cavaliers return home with a massive task in front of them. In the NBA's history, 95% of the teams staring at a 3-1 deficit have lost the series. They will hope they can be a part of that 5% when they take on the Indiana Pacers at their home in Game 5.

Cavs might have to battle without Donovan Mitchell

The Cleveland Cavaliers had seemingly given up after looking at the 80-39 score displayed inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. There was no point fighting it, and along with the Indiana Pacers starters, the Cavs too sat down to rest.

But they have something else to worry about when they head back to Cleveland, Ohio. Donovan Mitchell suffered an ankle injury during shootaround before the second half. As per the team, they will wait for an MRI and then decide how to handle his recovery.

If Donovan Mitchell does not get ready for Game 5, it is possible that the Indiana Pacers can use the opportunity to finish the series then and there itself. They know they have to face the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks next, and the best way to do it is to rest, recover, and carefully analyze game film.

For the Cavaliers, they can hope that does not happen and their leading superstar comes back to defy the odds and win the series. Only then can they continue towards their goal of bringing the second NBA title to this franchise.

Also Read:

• Richard Jefferson Shoots Back at Dave Portnoy on 'Knicks Jersey' Comments
• Amid 2-1 Deficit, Jimmy Butler Vows to Put on 'Big Boy Pants' in Stephen Curry's Absence

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Joseph is a Senior Writer with FirstSportz and covers the NBA as well as the NFL. Sports came to him naturally from a young age. While playing high school basketball, he was enamored by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's all-dominating Lakers, who still happen to be his favorite team. He had a fleeting interest in American football during the Greatest Show on Turf era. That interest then grew exponentially when he saw Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom romp their way to a Super Bowl. All that time, he was either trying to graduate with a degree in Commerce from St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, or working with HDFC Bank and HSBC. Then his long-standing passion for automobiles saw him launch East India's first auto-detailing service. His keen eye for quality and creativity has carried over to his forays as a writer, where he combines it with his three-decade experience as a sports fan to help him place words together.