Cavs News! Outraced in Indy, Garland’s hand, LeBron return

After an extended homestand, the Cleveland Cavaliers took to the road to play the run-and-gun Indiana Pacers. The Cavs had lost two straight games and were hungry to right the ship, and they got out to an early lead. Well, after Buddy Hield put the Pacers up 3-0 just three seconds into the game for the fastest 3-pointer in NBA history:

Indiana was ready every time the Cavs took the lead with a quick run, fueled by transition 3-pointers and crisp passing. The Cavs got caught trying to play the Pacers’ up-and-down game and Indiana proved more capable, buoyed by some incredibly hot shooting. For the game, the Pacers shot 19-of-31 from deep (61 percent).

Donovan Mitchell had 28 points in the loss but was -14 on the night, while Jarrett Allen put up 19 points and 14 rebounds. It’s the third-straight loss for the Cavaliers, who will look to end the year in the winning column tomorrow against the Chicago Bulls.

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Early in the fourth quarter Darius Garland received a pass from Mitchell and drove into the paint, where the Pacers’ Oshae Brissett swiped for the ball and instead connected with Garland’s hand. He immediately screamed in pain, clutching his thumb and falling to the court (no foul was called). He left the game, and although he returned he did not attempt another shot and missed both free throws he attempted, clearly in a lot of pain. More information will likely come out today about Garland’s availability moving forward, but the Cavs may need Ricky Rubio back.

Finally, there are rumors swirling around once again about LeBron James returning home to the Cavaliers, stemming in large part from his comments about not wanting to lose any longer. One thing to keep in mind is that James’ newly-signed extension this past summer means he cannot be traded until after the NBA Trade Deadline, and he can’t walk in free agency until the summer of 2024.

NBA news

The King of the Triple Double was at it again, as Luka Doncic put up a 30-point triple-double in just three quarters as the Dallas Mavericks blew out the Houston Rockets. The rest of the league wasn’t as sharp against tanking teams, with the New York Knicks losing in San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder giving a win to the Charlotte Hornets.

The marquee game last night was a healthy LA Clippers team playing the Boston Celtics. It was a great back-and-forth affair, but the Celtics got out in front late and held off the Clippers to notch the 116-110 victory with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both scoring 29 points.

Coming up: The Cavaliers are heading a few miles west to Chicago for their New Year’s Eve matchup with the Bulls tomorrow night.