Cavs hold off Pacers, take 2-0 series lead

Pacers nearly come back from 18 points down; series shifts to Indy

Blown big leads. Defensive breakdowns. Bad shots. None of it means anything to LeBron James.

The only score that matters is 2-0.

Kyrie Irving scored 37 points, Kevin Love added 27, James had 25 and the Cavaliers avoided another fourth-quarter collapse in Game 2, beating the Pacers, 117-111, on April 17 to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

After giving up a late lead and squeaking out the opener by just a point, James and Co. showed more intensity on defense, more swagger in general and held on to win their 10th straight first-round game over the past three seasons.

However, the defending champions, following a pattern that began late in the regular season, nearly gave away an 18-point lead in the fourth as the Pacers crawled within four in the final minute before Cleveland closed it out at the foul line.

Still, James came away encouraged. The Cavs are finding their groove.

“We’re right there of what we know can become,” James said. “We’ll figure it out. I’d much rather have an 18-point lead than not have a lead at all. We’re right there on turning the switch on what we really can become.”

James added 10 rebounds and seven assists while winning his 19th straight game in the first round. He did have eight of Cleveland’s 19 turnovers, miscues that allowed the Pacers to hang around.

Paul George scored 32 and

Jeff Teague 23 for Indiana, which showed more fight, but now has a steep hill to climb to get back in the series. Cleveland is 12-0 when starting 2-0 in the postseason.

Teague injured his right wrist in the second half and Coach Nate McMillan said the starting guard will undergo X-rays.

In the third quarter, Cleveland took advantage of a mismatch underneath and pounded the ball inside to Love, who scored 10-straight and drew a charging foul on Lance Stephenson in a span of two minutes as the Cavs opened an 89-70 lead.

Irving ended the period by draining a 3-pointer over Stephenson and the All-Star

made sure Indiana’s antagonizing guard knew about it, yapping in his direction long after the horn sounded.

The Pacers regrouped, ripped off 13 straight points and were within 113-109 when George hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left.

Now, they’re heading home in a hole they still believe they can climb from.

“We know what’s at stake,” C.J. Miles said. “We’re going to go out there, keep trying to give them hell, keep competing and we’ll get ourselves a win.”

Smith injured

The other hitch for Cleveland was that starting guard J.R. Smith didn’t play in the second half because of a

left hamstring injury. Iman Shumpert, who sat out the opener, replaced Smith and played 20 solid minutes.

Tip-ins

Pacers: Glenn Robinson III returned after missing the past 12 games with a strained left calf. He scored four in nine minutes. ... Indiana is 0-9 when dropping the first two games in a series.

Cavaliers: James (357) jumped Magic Johnson (358) for third place in career playoff steals and hopped Robert Parish for eighth in rebounds. ... James has scored at least 30 points with 10 assists in 13 career playoff games, trailing only Jerry West (14) and Michael Jordan (15).

TONY DEJAK — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Pacers’ Lance Stephenson fouls Kevin Love during the second half April 17 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won, 117‑111.

TONY DEJAK — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Kyrie Irving drives to the basket against the Pacers’ Myles Turner during the first half.