"I'm sorry that their season had to end like this," Rick Carlisle said after his fourth-seeded Pacers eliminated Cleveland despite the Cavs' 64 wins and Coach of the Year honors.

The Pacers won Games 1, 2 and 5 at Rocket Mortgage Arena to help secure their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana needed to battle back from a 12-point first-quarter deficit. Tyrese Haliburton's three-point shooting played a huge role in clawing back into the game.

Max Strus sent a group text message to motivate his teammates. Then he went scoreless as the Cavaliers lost Game 5.

The Cavs led 31-19 after 12 minutes while shooting 0 for 5 from 3-point range. Zero makes. Five attempts. Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey must’ve been watching in horror.

The Cavaliers won 64 games and captured the East's top seed. While a second-round exit is disappointing, Cleveland shouldn't do anything drastic.

Indiana has reached the Eastern Conference Finals for consecutive years. That's not lucky, this team is for real.

Donovan Mitchell gave everything he had. But in the end, effort wasn’t enough to save the Cavs from another early playoff exit.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' season is hanging in the balance, as they are down 3-1 in their second-round NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers with Game 5

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, left, celebrates along with forward Pascal Siakam after scoring during the second half in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The Cavaliers are in a fairly good position heading into the 2025 offseason. 11 players are set to be under contract, including Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Mitchell—who agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million extension last offseason.