Cedi Osman #16 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches a replay during the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on February 02, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP
The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 20-point deficit to blow out the visiting Indiana Pacers 98-85 on Sunday.
Guard Cedi Osman led the way with 22 points for the Cavaliers, who blew the game open by opening the fourth quarter with a 19-0 run, turning a 68-61 deficit into an 80-61 lead. Eighteen of Osman’s points came in the fourth quarter, when Cleveland outscored Indiana 37-17.
"I think we're gonna need some oxygen." 😂
(@cediosman + @kevinlove)#LetEmKnow | @cavs pic.twitter.com/cyUesywTf6
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) February 7, 2022
The first Cavalier with 18+ PTS in a single quarter since LeBron James in 2018. 🔥@cediosman | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/RcVy1bA8v0
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 7, 2022
Osman, Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo led the comeback, the Cavs’ largest of the season. Their previous largest comeback was 19 points against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 13.
Love finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, while center Jarrett Allen had 15 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. The 6-11 center has grabbed 39 rebounds in his last two games. Rondo came off the bench and finished 15 points and a game-high 12 assists. He helped the Cavs win their sixth game in a row at home, their longest streak since 2018.
The @cavs overcame a 20 point deficit with some excellent play in the 4th quarter, including a 22-3 run and 18 points by Cedi Osman! #LetEmKnow@cediosman: 22 PTS, 5 AST, 4 3PM@kevinlove: 19 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL pic.twitter.com/z8HWputU5O
— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2022
Guard Chris Duarte led the Pacers with 22 points, and Duane Washington scored 17. Center Domantas Sabonis, who returned to the lineup after being out because of COVID-19 protocols, contributed nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists despite battling foul trouble all night.
The Cavs missed their first nine shots from the field and went 2-for-19 as the Pacers stormed out to a 23-5 advantage after Sabonis’ layup with 3:17 left in the first quarter. The Pacers led 27-12 after the first quarter, when they held Cleveland to 4-for-23 shooting.
Indiana, despite missing numerous key players due to injury, stretched the lead to 34-14 on center Goga Bitadze’s dunk with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.
But Sabonis, a 6-11 center, picked up his third personal foul with 8:19 left in the first half. That seemed to spark the Cavaliers, who used a 17-2 burst to get back in the game. They cut the deficit to 36-31 on Rondo’s layup with 4:12 to play. But an 11-5 surge gave the Pacers a 47-36 lead at halftime, even though Allen had a double-double in the first half with 11 points and 10 rebounds, six on the offensive glass.
The Central Division rivals traded baskets in the third quarter before Duarte got hot. He had 13 points in the quarter, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave give the Pacers a 68-61 lead.
Cleveland took its first lead on Osman’s floater with 10:23 to play.
The Cavs might be getting some reinforcements. Multiple media reports said they acquired guard Caris LeVert on Sunday from Indiana. They gave up injured guard Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks.