The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just win Game 3 — they announced they’re not dead yet. But survival isn’t the same as success, and Sunday’s Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers has the potential to decide whether this series heads toward destiny or disaster for Cleveland.

This is not just another playoff game. It’s the kind of crucible where playoff legacies are hardened and future rosters begin to reshape. And it begins, as it always does in this series, with Donovan Mitchell’s fire and Evan Mobley’s grit.

The Cavs walked into Game 3 trailing 0-2, wounded in the standings and literally in the locker room. Garland was compromised. Mobley was on a bad ankle. De’Andre Hunter had missed Game 2 entirely. But with the season on life support, Cleveland showed up in Indiana and flipped the script—not just with effort, but with dominance.

What separates the Cavs now isn’t just health—it’s adaptability. Game 3 wasn’t about simply getting bodies back. It was about using them differently. Atkinson ditched the team’s usual 2-3 zone for a more aggressive 3-2 look—one that positioned Mobley and De’Andre Hunter at the top to disrupt passing lanes and stifle Indiana’s shooters. The Pacers, who had torched Cleveland in Games 1 and 2 for over 120 points each, suddenly looked lost. Haliburton, the heartbeat of their offense, finished with just four points and was a no-show postgame.

Mobley explained the effect simply: “My length messes with them. They want to go middle, and I make it tough.”

That shift changed everything. It throttled transition opportunities, tilted the rebounding war in Cleveland’s favor (18 offensive boards, 31 second-chance points), and exposed Indiana’s reliance on early-shot-clock pace. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam finished with just four rebounds. Myles Turner grabbed only three.

The Cavaliers? They played bully ball. Max Strus showed up with 20-7-7. Jarrett Allen and Mobley outmuscled the Pacers’ bigs. And even a hobbling Darius Garland gave Cleveland the floor balance they sorely lacked in Game 2.

The Cavs ran away with a 126-104 win, snapping Indiana’s rhythm and reasserting the identity that earned Cleveland the East’s top seed. Now, the next 48 minutes will tell us if that identity can survive the turbulence of this postseason.

Injury Report: Will Donovan Mitchell and Mobley suit up for game 4?

There’s good news on that front: Both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are expected to play in Game 4, with no names listed on either team’s injury report ahead of tip-off.

Mobley’s availability in particular had raised concern after he powered through Game 3 with an ankle sprain. Yet he not only played—he dominated. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. He disrupted Indiana’s spacing, crashed the glass, and anchored a retooled 3-2 zone that suffocated Tyrese Haliburton and neutralized Indiana’s five-out attack.

Mobley later told reporters he “heals quickly.” Head coach Kenny Atkinson, though cautious, acknowledged the adrenaline factor and made clear the Cavs had little choice. “It was now or never,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mitchell continues his blistering postseason run. He dropped 44 points on Friday night, following a 48-point effort in Game 2. He’s scoring at all three levels—bulldozing his way into the paint, connecting from mid-range floaters, and getting to the line without relying on the whistle. Atkinson didn’t mince words: “It was probably the best performance of the year.”

But this win also brought renewed pressure. Ty Jerome was unplayable. Cleveland’s three-point shooting remains abysmal (under 30% for three straight games). The Cavs didn’t just earn a lifeline—they bought time. Now they have to use it.

Donovan Mitchell knows that. After the win, he was blunt: “We haven’t done anything. We came here to take two. We took one. The next one’s the hardest game yet.”

Game 4 will decide everything. A win evens the series and hands Cleveland home-court advantage. A loss puts them one misstep from elimination, with no guarantees on how long Mitchell and Mobley can keep carrying this load.

The Cavs aren’t asking for perfection. But if they want to keep dancing with the elite, they’ll need everything—the zone, the glass, the grit, and one more masterclass from their superstars. Game 3 was redemption. Game 4 must be declaration.

And the clock is already ticking.