📝Final notes📝
The Pacers came out firing on all cylinders, dropping 36 points in the first quarter and having an 11-point lead after the first. Cleveland spent the remainder of the game battling back, at one point taking an 88-84 lead, but every time the Cavs made a run, Indiana answered. Ultimately, the Pacers secured a 121-112 Game 1 victory, finishing the game on a 20-10 run. The big difference was beyond the arc, where the Cavs shot just 23.7% on 9-for-38 long-range shooting. Meanwhile, the Pacers connected on 52.8% of their attempts while going 19-for-36.
Despite the loss, it’s worth nothing Mitchell was the game’s leading scorer, pouring in 33 points, for his eighth straight series opener with 30-plus points, an NBA record.
The Warriors will move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs with a 103-89 victory over the Rockets. Golden State only trailed for 13 seconds over the entirety of the game, which was late in the first quarter. Once they went back in front they never relinquished the lead, getting out in front by as much as 15 early in the third quarter. Houston fought back, getting within three late in the third frame, but the Warriors went on another run and never looked back, including a 10-0 run in crunch time that pushed their lead to 20. They’ll now meet the Timberwolves in a second-round matchup.
🌟🌟Top performances🌟🌟
- Andrew Nembhard: 23 points (7-10 FGs), and six assists.
- Donovan Mitchell: 33 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
- Tyrese Haliburton: 22 points, 13 assists, and three blocks.
- Buddy Hield: 33 points, (12-15 FG, 9-11 3PT), three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
- Stephen Curry: 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks.
🌉Warriors advance🌉
Golden State rolls on, downing the Rockets in Game 7 with a 103-89 win.
The Warriors took over down the stretch, building up their lead by as much as 20 after back-to-back three balls from Curry and Hield,
A DAGGER-FILLED SEQUENCE FROM STEPH & GOLDEN STATE 😱 pic.twitter.com/OPUJXESQQL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2025
Hield was phenomenal in the first half, while Curry was cold, then heated up down the stretch, finishing with a game-high 33 points and nine made triples. Curry only had three points at the break, but scored 19 in the second half and secured a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 24 points in the loss, adding nine rebounds, and Sengun added 21 points and 14 rebounds.
Chef cooking in the clutch👨🍳
Curry struggled to get on the scoreboard in the first half, but he’s scored nine points thus far in the third,
Might want to guard Steph 😬 pic.twitter.com/9R0awLTS07
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 5, 2025
and Hield has been quiet in the second half, but hit his seventh triple, and now has 25 points
https://x.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1919222353101525292
The Warriors are closing in a Game 7 win, leading 84-74 with just under four minutes remaining. The Rockets still have time though, will need to get some offense going.
Circus finish🎪
Curry went most of the first half scoreless and only has eight points for the Warriors, but this reverse finish is a must-see,
STEPH PUT SOME ENGLISH ON THIS FINISH 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/2Nkip1CkCK
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2025
The Rockets are battling back and cut the Warriors’ lead to as little as three, but a Jimmy Butler triple has brought Golden State’s lead to six, 66-60 late in the third quarter.
He’s taking flight🛫
The Warriors came out hot to start the second half, including this highlight dunk from Brandin Podziemski on the Curry setup,
TAKE FLIGHT, PODZ 🛫 pic.twitter.com/mKwuTbfffb
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 5, 2025
Houston is battling back though, scoring four straight and trailing by nine, 56-47.
⚔️Warriors came out to play⚔️
Golden State spent the second quarter extending their lead and are now up 51-39 at the break in Houston.
With their seasons on the line, it’s been Hield who continues to step up, making 8 of 9 field-goal attempts, including 6-for-7 from three for 22 points.
BACK-TO-BACK BUDDY BUCKETS 🎯🎯
Warriors leading the way in Game 7!!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/seQdB0k2dz
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
Curry is also on the board now, finally hitting his first triple, and has three points.
Thompson is the Rockets’ leading scorer with 12 points, including this hoop, which might be one of prettiest buckets you’ve seen all season,
🤩 𝙒𝙊𝙒 Amen! pic.twitter.com/unciFSsbBO
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 5, 2025
Buddy buckets🪣
Hield is up to 13 points with this triple, and the Warriors’ lead has grown to 33-24,
Buddy is a walking BUCKET 🪣 pic.twitter.com/u9ZHIK364u
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 5, 2025
Hield’s performance has been significant for Golden State thus far, as Curry is 0-for-4 and still has not scored a point.
At the buzzer 🎯🎯🎯
The Warriors have a 23-19 advantage over the Rockets after a quarter of play in Game 7.
Tying Green for a game-high eight points is Buddy Hield thanks to this buzzer-beating 42-footer,
BUDDY FROM NEAR HALFCOURT TO END THE FIRST 🚨
WARRIORS LEADING BY 4 AFTER 1Q!
🍿 Game 7 on TNT pic.twitter.com/d9FYshq0id
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
Thompson is leading the scoring for the Rockets, with six.
Although Jalen Green only has two this far, his one bucket is worth a look, as goes hard to the lane and switches hands at the last possible moment, and gets it off the glass
JALEN GREEN SWITCHES TO THE LEFT IN MIDAIR 😳 pic.twitter.com/xDygljZTkF
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2025
Game 7️⃣ underway
Golden State has the early advantage of 16-13 over Houston eight minutes into the first quarter.
Draymond Green has been the early offense for the Warriors sinking two triples and scoring eight points.
Draymond Green’s got the hot hand early 🎯
He’s got 8 of GSW’s first 13 PTS in Game 7 on TNT!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/XX8GwwSnZY
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
They also got a Butler three as the shot clock was winding down,
Butler III to beat the clock 🚨
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 5, 2025
We won’t ignore Houston though, and Fred VanVleet, who has a team-high five points, but also this assist to set up an Amen Thompson flush,
1️⃣ going up! pic.twitter.com/IAKfEbEDCw
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 5, 2025
🏎️💨Pacers take Game 1
Indiana controlled the action in the final minutes and cruised to a 121-112 win.
The big difference was beyond the arc, where the Cavs shot just 23.7% on 9-for-38 long-range shooting. Meanwhile, the Pacers connected on 52.8% of their attempts while going 19-for-36.
In the end, it was Haliburton though at the rim who used some fancy footwork to seal it and put his squad up 10 late,
what a move by Tyrese Haliburton to extend the lead to 10 late in the fourth 💯 pic.twitter.com/NlWQytMJNM
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 5, 2025
Haliburton finished with 22 points, 13 assists, and three blocks, and Nembhard finished with a team-high 23 in the win.
Mitchell was the game’s leading scorer, pouring in 33 points, for his eighth straight series opener with 30-plus points, an NBA record.
Nembhard clutch🥶
Every time the Cavaliers pull close, the Pacers pull away again, and they have a 114-106 lead late in the fourth quarter.
Part of their run has been pinpoint long-range shooting, and that including Nembhard, who buries this triple,
ANDREW NEMBHARD.
5-6 FROM DOWNTOWN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zAcxeCl3za
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2025
Nembhard is up to 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including making five of six three-point attempts.
The fourth quarter is on tap
Indiana bounced right back after falling behind 88-84 and now leads 92-90 after three quarters.
Part of the burst was a corner three from Mathurin, which ended Cleveland’s run
Bennedict Mathurin in the corner. pic.twitter.com/dIdM1b2zSZ
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 4, 2025
that led to Turner knocking down a corner three of his own at the buzzer to put the Pacers up two,
Myles Turner snatches back the @Pacers lead at the buzzer 🎯 pic.twitter.com/7gAAXKX3Ft
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 4, 2025
Cleveland comes all the way back
The Cavaliers have just taken an 85-84 lead over the Pacers late in the third quarter on an Evan Mobley bucket.
However, just before that, Donovan Mitchell took flight. After getting the ball at the top of the key, he saw the open lane, split two defenders to get to it, and then exploded at the rim.
WHO KNEW SPIDA’S COULD FLY????? @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow https://t.co/opScaMqIvJ pic.twitter.com/6olV8oDocN
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2025
Big man slams💥
Second-half action is underway and the Pacers are starting to pull away from the Cavaliers again, and now lead 80-68 just under five minutes into the second quarter.
Before Indiana’s charge though, here Mobley gets loose, and Strus finds him with the lob to connect on the alley-oop.
alley oooooooooooop.
Max Strus ➡️ @evanmobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ECMEeCXnNI
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2025
Then Allen gets the ball near the baseline and goes right to the rim for an explosive jam,
JARRETT ALLEN MY GOODNESS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dwRu53xCF3
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025
Halfway there🔴🔴⭕⭕
Cleveland outscored Indiana 33-28 in the second quarter, are still trailing at the half, 64-58.
Siakam remains the Pacers’ leading scorer with 13, while Nembhard added seven in the second and has 12, while Mathurin and McConnell were sparks off the bench adding eight and seven points each.
Mitchell now has a game-high 15 points for the Cavs but is doing it on 7-for-16 shooting.
Aside from Jerome giving the Cavaliers some punch off the bench with 11, so has DeAndre Hunter, who shot 4-for-6, scoring nine points, including this three,
Hunter makes it three-straight triples for Cleveland 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2GKyP3zrKr
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025
Third-quarter action is coming up on TNT, tru TV, and also streaming on Max!
Doing work🛠️
Cleveland is battling back, and Ty Jerome is at the forefront of it. He’s showing why he was a Sixth Man of the Year award candidate, coming off the bench to deliver nine points and five assists against the Pacers,
BEEN THAT GUY. STILL THAT GUY. @tyjerome_ | #LetEmKnow https://t.co/Fqa5HVEGNy pic.twitter.com/UGmMoy7Uie
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2025
Cleveland has narrowed the deficit to 58-54 with a couple of minutes remaining in the half.
Hot start for Indiana🔥
The Pacers came out on fire and are shooting 66.7% from the field, making 17 of their 25 field-goal attempts, including 6-for-9 from three.
They currently lead Cleveland, 45-33 early in the second quarter.
Siakam remains their leading scorer with 13, while Haliburton and McConnell each have seven,
this angle of Tyrese Haliburton’s no-look dime to T.J. McConnell 🪙 pic.twitter.com/DRsvPir8OL
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 4, 2025
Cleveland is being led by Mobley and Mitchell, who each have 11 apiece.
We’re Underway in Cleveland📢
The Pacers have jumped out to a 19-14 lead halfway through the first quarter.
It’s been the Siakam show so far for Indiana, as he’s poured in a game-high 10 points already, and making tough buckets like this one, as he gets around Mobley at the rim,
Pascal Siakam with the tough lay 👏 pic.twitter.com/bPYrqOcZAO
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 4, 2025
Cleveland is getting all their offense from Mitchell, and Mobley, who have nine and five points respectively.
5 quick ones for Evan Mobley 😤
Indiana vs Cleveland is underway on TNT! pic.twitter.com/94AJMad5Ys
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025
A Twitter List by iHENRYWEINBERG
🏆Raise it up🏆
Evan Mobley was announced as the 2024-25 Kia Defensive Player of the Year back on April 24, but the Cavaliers haven’t played a home game since.
With them back in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their second-round series against the Pacers about to tip off, Mobley finally received his reward in front of the home crowd.
CHEERING ON OUR DPOY. 🦄@evanmobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/mGDnbsCaFf
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2025
Garland remains out❌
Darius Garland will miss his third straight game due to a toe injury. The Cavaliers point guard hasn’t played since Cleveland’s Game 2 win over the Heat on April 23rd, and there’s still no clear signal of when he should be expected to return.
In his absence, Sam Merrill will remain in the starting lineup for the Cavs.
ROUND 2, GAME 1 STARTERS. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/qw9zs6azT4
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2025
The Pacers will maintain their usual starting lineup, sending Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner to the floor first.
first five in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/pEOhzuiqsS
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 4, 2025
📋Game notes📋
Today’s slate marks both a beginning and an end.
The Pacers’ and Cavaliers’ game will be the first game of the day and the start of second-round action in the NBA Playoffs. Our nightcap will feature the final matchup of the first round when the Rockets host the Warriors in Game 7.
Cleveland swept the Heat to get here, and the Pacers disposed of the Bucks in an exciting overtime finish in Game 5, to win their series 4-1. These divisional foes met four times in the regular season, with Indiana picking up the win on three occasions. The Cavaliers could remain without Darius Garland (toe), who hasn’t played since Game 2 against Miami.
Houston was down 3-1 in their series but it fought back to tie its series with Golden State, setting up a win-or-go-home showdown for both squads. Houston took Game 5 on their floor in dominant fashion, then put forth a strong run in the fourth quarter that locked up a Game 6 victory.
