Sunday afternoon featured a "must win" situation for Paul George and the Indiana Pacers. Playing on their home court gave the team some confidence that they could stave off elimination. Unfortunately, the results of the previous three meetings with the Cleveland Cavaliers yielded similar results in the fourth. In this game 4, the Cavs were able to grab a four-point win in order to move on. That means Indiana is done for their 2017 NBA Playoffs. Here's a look at how LeBron James and the Cavs got the big win to move forward.
How the game was won
Another impressive effort came for the Cavaliers from LeBron James.
The NBA superstar finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds, as well as four assists, four steals, and two blocks in the win. Teammate Kyrie Irving came through with 28 points, while Derron Williams came off the bench to add 14 points. As a team, Cleveland shot 41.1 percent from the field but outrebounded the Pacers 48-42 and hit 13 more free throws.
On the losing side, it was Myles Turner with 20 to lead the team. Paul George shot just 5-for-21 and ended up with 15 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists. The Pacers outshot their opponents but were outscored in the two middle quarters of the game 66-53. Unfortunately, Indiana's 25-18 fourth quarter wasn't enough to keep them from elimination.
That makes it a 4-0 sweep in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Indiana nearly grabbed Game 1 but were defended on the final play of the game to the point where superstar Paul George couldn't launch a desperation shot.
What's up next for them?
The Cleveland Cavaliers will await their second-round opponents. That could be either the Washington Wizards or the Atlanta Hawks, depending on which squad takes the series.
Right now it's at 2-1 in favor of John Wall and the Wizards, but things could be evened up when they meet for Game 4 in Atlanta. Still, Cleveland is amongst the favorites to capture the championship along with the Golden State Warriors.
As for Indiana, this concludes their 2017 playoffs experience. The team will likely be going back to the drawing board, and it could mean that Paul George is that much closer to leaving for another team.
Interesting suitors may include the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, or LA Clippers. They'll also look to the NBA Draft which is coming in June. While Indian won't have the top pick, a trade could always be in the works to bring them something more.