LOS ANGELES – Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a crucial 126-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday, as the Denver Nuggets beat Oklahoma City in an overtime thriller.
Cleveland, the top seed in the East after racking up 64 regular-season wins, had its back against the wall after dropping the first two games at home – the fact that no NBA team has rallied from 3-0 down to win a series making Friday’s game a must-win.
Mitchell, whose 48 points in Game 2 weren’t enough to ward off a furious Pacers comeback, was magnificent again, adding nine rebounds, five assists and a steal.
He had plenty of support with the return from injury of All-Star guard Darius Garland, Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and key reserve De’Andre Hunter as the Cavs clawed back to 2-1 in the best-of-seven conference semifinal.
In Denver, Jamal Murray scored 27 points and Aaron Gordon added 22 – including a three-pointer to send it to overtime, where the Nuggets dominated for a 113-104 triumph and a 2-1 series lead over the Thunder.
Routed in Game 2, the Nuggets had to battle throughout a game that featured 15 lead changes. That included six in the fourth quarter, when neither team led by more than three.