Pacers beat Cleveland Cavaliers to extend lead in semis; Thunder ties Nuggets in NBA

In a high-tension game this Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Pacers took an important step towards winning the semifinals of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs by crushing the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 in a duel valid for game four of the series. The match was also marked by the ejection, still in the first period, of Bennedict Mathurim for hitting De' Andre Hunter (Cleveland) with a punch in the stomach.

The win in front of their home crowd opened up an excellent opportunity for the team to secure a spot in the finals next Tuesday. Coach Rick Carlisle's squad now has a 3-1 lead in the race. The two teams will meet again for Game 5 on Tuesday, but this time at the Rocket Arena.

At the end of the match, given the confusion at the beginning of the match, the Pacers coach commented on Mathurim's expulsion. "I saw a static image where it looked like he (Mathurim) had his hand out (on his opponent)," said the coach about the confusion. "The referees had a different opinion and we will accept the expulsion. We now have to move on," he added.

Despite the initial incident and the absence of the forward, what was seen on the court was a great superiority of the Pacers over the Cavs. With an overwhelming pace, the hosts tied an NBA playoff record by opening a 41-point lead at halftime.

Cautiously, Carlisle put the brakes on his excitement to keep the team focused in the face of the possibility of closing out the match in game 5 of these playoffs. According to him, the focus needs to be the same.

“We haven’t done anything. We will continue to approach this as if we have everything to prove. We know that people don’t believe in our team, so we will continue to fight for the goal of qualifying. We have to think like that,” he said.

Pascal Siakam was the Indiana Pacers' top scorer (21), and had the valuable contribution of Myles Turner and Obi Toppin (both with 20) to set a strong pace in the attack, intimidating the Cleveland Cavaliers' actions.

On the rival side, Darius Garland (21) tried to lead his team to a comeback, but was unable to influence his teammates. To make matters worse, the Ohio team also lost Donovan Mitchell in the final stage with an ankle injury.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER TIES SERIES WITH NUGGETS

With a beautiful reaction in the last quarter and supported by a great performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder tied the Western Semifinal playoff series at 2-2 by beating the Denver Nuggets inside the Ball Arena by 92 to 87 on Sunday night in the NBA.

With 25 points, the point guard led the team and was decisive in the end. The game started at a slow pace where the defense prevailed. It was only in the third quarter that the home team managed to recover. By scoring 27 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, Nikola Jokic was not only the standout player for the Nuggets but also the top scorer of the match.

In the final part, however, Gilgeous-Alexander's calibrated aim and good rhythm paid off. With his accurate shots, the Canadian point guard put the Oklahoma franchise in the lead and helped secure the victory. The two teams meet again for duel 5 of the playoffs this Tuesday, at the Paycom Center.

Check out the results on Sunday night :

Denver Nuggets 87 x 92 Oklahoma City Thunder – series tied at 2-2

Indiana Pacers 129 x 109 Cleveland Cavaliers – Pacers lead the series 3 to 1

Follow the games this Monday:

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves