NBA Playoffs: Pacers steal dramatic Game 2, Warriors win despite scary Curry injury

The trend of visiting teams finding success in the NBA Conference Semifinals continued Tuesday night, with both road teams emerging victorious in dramatic fashion. This pushes the record for home teams to 0-3 in the second round of the playoffs so far.

(0) Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers (2): 119-120

In the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers snatched a stunning 120-119 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their series, extending their lead to a commanding 2-0. The game culminated in a truly dramatic finish. After the Cavaliers had held a lead for the entire fourth quarter until the final second, and even held a seven-point advantage with under a minute to play, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton delivered the decisive blow. Following a missed free throw, Haliburton secured his own rebound and immediately sank a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer to steal the game from Cleveland.

The loss was described as a devastating collapse for the Cavaliers, the worst Cavs' loss since Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, attributed to a myriad of mistakes and brutal turnovers late. Cleveland was significantly shorthanded, playing without Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Evan Mobley due to injuries, which impacted their ballhandling and ability to get the ball inbounds late, especially with a tired Donovan Mitchell.

Despite his team's struggles, Mitchell had a massive scoring night with 48 points. Tyrese Maxey (23 points) and Jarrett Allen (22 points) also contributed for the Cavs. The Pacers, led by Myles Turner (23 pts), Aaron Nesmith (23 pts), and Bennedict Mathurin (19 pts), demonstrated resilience by chipping away and extending the game despite early turnover issues and falling behind by as many as 20 points. Haliburton's clutch heroics secured the vital road win and a significant 2-0 series lead heading back to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Friday.

(0) Minnesota Timberwolves-Golden State Warriors (1): 88-99

Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-88 in Game 1, taking a 1-0 series lead despite facing a major challenge. The game immediately felt must-win for the Warriors after superstar Steph Curry left in the first half with a left hamstring strain and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Despite losing their leader, the Warriors took control against a Timberwolves offense described as asleep in the first half and plagued by poor shooting (5/29 from three, missed first 16) and turnovers (16). Key Warriors stepped up in Curry's absence. Buddy Hield delivered a strong performance with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Jimmy Butler was impactful with 20 points, 11 rebounds (6 offensive), and 8 assists, providing clutch assists late to Hield and Gary Payton II.

Draymond Green contributed 18 points and led a sturdy defensive effort that held the Timberwolves to 88 points. While Golden State secured the Game 1 road win, providing them with temporary breathing room with a 1-0 lead, the uncertainty surrounding Curry's hamstring injury casts a significant shadow.

He is expected to miss at least Game 2 on Thursday in Minneapolis, and potentially longer, making future wins without their primary scorer challenging. The Timberwolves' performance, particularly Anthony Edwards' difficult first half (1 point, 0/10 FG) and struggles against the Warriors' zone defense and at the rim, was ultimately not enough to capitalize on Curry's absence in Game 1.