After a dominant sweep against the Miami Heat with a 4-0 series win, the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the conference semifinals with high hopes riding on Donovan Mitchell and the team. However, the momentum quickly faded as the Cavaliers were overwhelmed by the Indiana Pacers,

The Cavaliers insist Evan Mobley is going to become even better and more aggressive. The Cavs need it to happen to avoid more playoff letdowns.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was an image of misery when he talked to reporters after losing to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of their second-round series, 114-105, on Tuesday. The top-seeded Cavaliers got eliminated by the fourth-seeded Pacers, ending what had been their best campaign in recent years.

The Indiana Pacers held on late to beat the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which gave them the 4-1 series win and secured their second straight trip to the conference finals. That left Mitchell and the Cavaliers, who had earned the top seed in the conference, heading home early.

Donovan Mitchell walks off the court and other pictures of the day in the NBA

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games during the regular season, captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference and had two winning streaks of at least 15 games. Mitchell, though,

Donovan Mitchell dropped 35 points in his final playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. The Cleveland Cavaliers had a 19-point lead, blowing it away for Tyrese Haliburton and Co. to take over. After a 64-win season,

Mitchell, visibly deflated by the postseason exit, said going down 2-0 in the series left them in a precarious situation of having to chase an Indiana team that was brimming with confidence. In the end, the Pacers, which made the conference finals last season, were far more experienced and composed than the Cavs were.