CLEVELAND — It wasn’t a must-win for the Pacers, but it sure wasn’t a game they could afford to lose.
So thank heavens for former Butler standout Kelan Martin and the usual fine efforts from Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. All came through in a vital 111-102 road win over the Cavaliers on Monday, moving the Pacers back up to the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
How good was Martin? Well, let’s just say he probably hasn’t been this good since his days inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. On Monday, he finished with 25 points on a clutch 11-of-16 shooting, and the Pacers needed every last bit of it.
Sabonis pitched in 21 points and a whopping 20 rebounds, and LeVert went for 20 points and 10 assists. Basically, if the Pacers don’t enjoy playing for coach Nate Bjorkgren, it sure didn’t show on this night.
Overall, six Pacers scored in double-figures. Along with the aforementioned, the list also consisted of Doug McDermott (13 points), Justin Holiday (11) and T.J. McConnell (10).
Those three have been mostly golden in helping Indy overcome the losses of injured Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb.
But for one night, Martin was the man who truly helped save the day.
“I think I’ve gotten confidence ever since I’ve been playing these last few games,” he told Bally Sports Indiana.
“Just bringing energy off the bench, just playing my role, playing hard.”
Bjorkgren, for one, was impressed.
“Kelan was big, hit big shots,” Bjorkgren said. “I like the way he rebounded, too. I thought his defense was very good. … He played great and I’m proud of him.”
When Bjorkgren talks of defense, he isn’t joking around. For starters, the Pacers forced Cavs leading scorer Collin Sexton (25 points) into 7-of-26 shooting.
Indiana broke open a 91-all tie in the fourth quarter with a 9-1 run. It never trailed again, putting things away with some clutch free-throw shooting at the end.
“As our chemistry continues to grow, I think our team will be better from it,” LeVert said.
As it stands, the Pacers (32-36) have four games remaining. They play home games against the 76ers, Bucks and defending champion Lakers, before closing the regular season on the road vs. the Raptors in Tampa Bay.
The vastly undermanned Cavs (21-48) have lost 11 straight.
