"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.

Indiana has not made the NBA Finals since 2000, and has never won an NBA title. Rick Carlisle last coached in the Finals with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, and he knows his team is close.

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.

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.

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

The Indiana Pacers lead the Cleveland Cavaliers in a best-of-seven East Conference semifinal series, 3-1, going into a May 13 Game 5 matchup. Will the Pacers be able to advance on the road?

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam added 21 and the Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 114-105 victory over Cleveland, eliminating the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games.