The Cleveland Cavaliers were outworked by the Indiana Pacers for all of Sunday’s Game 4, and it wasn’t even really close.
The Pacers enjoyed a dominant and perhaps series-deciding 129-109 win over the Cavaliers, and Tyrese Haliburton spoke about it with ESPN.
He summarized why his squad did so well, and, according to him, it all comes down to energy.
“We just came out with good energy,” Haliburton said. “I thought last game they set the tone from a physicality standpoint. That’s been a talking point from them all series. Today we came out, set the tone from the jump and really just rode that wave.”
This has been the story since the beginning of this series: the team that comes out of the gate strongest is usually the one that wins the game.
On Sunday, there was no question which team had better energy.
Haliburton and his team clearly reviewed the footage from Game 3, Cleveland’s only win in this series, and they corrected their mistakes.
It was once again a team effort for the Pacers, with Haliburton putting up 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while six other players were in double digits.
Myles Turner and Obi Toppin both led the way with 20 points each.
The Pacers had something to prove with this game, and they were eager to pull off a 3-1 lead.
That is exactly what they did, and now the Cavaliers are on their heels and on the verge of elimination.
They aren’t out yet, however, and the Pacers need to consider that for Game 5.
How will the Cavaliers fight back?
Will they rally and bring the sort of energy needed in the next match?
And if they do, can the Pacers stick with their plan and hold onto the huge advantage they currently have?
NEXT: Rick Carlisle Says Pacers 'Have Everything To Prove' Ahead Of Game 5
