Cavaliers erase 20-point deficit to beat Pacers 98-85 at home

Cedi Osman scores 22 points in game, tallying 18 of them in the 4th quarter

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Cedi Osman-led Cleveland Cavaliers came back from 20 points deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 98-85 in a Sunday NBA game as the victors were dominant in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland's Turkish small forward Osman, 26, scored 22 points during the game, tallying 18 of them in the fourth quarter.

He was one of the key players for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers trailed by 34-14 in the second quarter in Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Cavaliers team played an impressive final quarter to score 37 points, outscoring the Pacers by 20 in the final frame.

The Pacers were leading the game 68-64 once the fourth quarter had started, but the Cavaliers have taken a 69-68 lead with 10:23 remaining after Osman's jump shot, and they have never looked back.

Cavaliers star Kevin Love clocked up 19 points.

Cleveland pair Jarrett Allen and Rajon Rondo posted double-double each.

Allen tallied 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Rondo bagged 15 points and made 12 assists.

Pacers shooting guard Chris Duarte scored 22 points, and his teammate Duane Washington Jr. had 17 points.

Indiana star Domantas Sabonis had nine points and 11 rebounds.

With 33 wins, the Cavaliers are in the fourth position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cleveland previously lost 21 games this season.

Another team from East, the Pacers, are currently in the lower ranks as they are going 19-36.

- Cavaliers get Pacers' LeVert per sources

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers acquired Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert in a trade, an NBA insider said.

Adrian Wojnarowski said that the Cavaliers signed 27-year-old LeVert, and sent their Spanish guard Ricky Rubio to the Pacers as per this agreement.

"Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick via Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah, per sources," Wojnarowski said on Twitter.

LeVert averaged 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game this season.

Rubio, 31, had a major knee injury in late December to miss the rest of the NBA season.

He was previously diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

- Results:

Denver Nuggets - Brooklyn Nets: 124-104

Chicago Bulls - Philadelphia 76ers: 108-119

Minnesota Timberwolves - Detroit Pistons: 118-105

Cleveland Cavaliers - Indiana Pacers: 98-85

Dallas Mavericks - Atlanta Hawks: 103-94

Orlando Magic - Boston Celtics: 83-116

Houston Rockets - New Orleans Pelicans: 107-120

Los Angeles Clippers - Milwaukee Bucks: 113-137