Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a crucial 126-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday, as the Denver Nuggets beat Oklahoma City in an overtime thriller.
Cleveland, the top seeds in the East after racking up 64 regular-season wins, had their backs against the wall after dropping the first two games at home -- the fact that no NBA team has rallied from 3-0 down to win a series making Friday's game a must-win.
Mitchell, whose 48 points in game two weren't enough to ward off a furious Pacers comeback, was magnificent again, adding nine rebounds, five assists and a steal.