The Indiana Pacers fought back from a 19-point, second-quarter deficit to eliminate the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight year.

The East's top seed has been eliminated. With their 114-105 win in Game 5 on Tuesday night, the Indiana Pacers knocked out the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle put it best in summing up his team’s finishing punch in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. “The winning team writes the script,” he said. The Pacers’ 114-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 on Tuesday night was similar to the first two games of the series.