The Cleveland Cavaliers finally looked like the higher seed on Friday night. In a Game 3 that had everything—momentum swings, injury scares, and a fanbase ready to erupt—the Cavs dominated the Indiana Pacers, 126-104, to claw back into their second-round series.

The Pacers actually managed to erase a 15-point deficit in the first quarter, thanks to big efforts from Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin. Turner scored Indiana’s first 10 points, while Mathurin hit timely threes off the bench. Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard capped the rally with clutch shots to tie the game 32-32 at the end of one.

But Cleveland absolutely owned the second quarter. The Cavs outscored the Pacers 34-13, sparked by a 17-2 run over six minutes, during which Indiana went 1-of-10 from the field. Donovan Mitchell was unstoppable again, dropping 43 points on 14-of-29 shooting. Max Strus added 20, and Evan Mobley returned from injury to chip in 18 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. Jarrett Allen was a force inside with 19 points and 12 boards.

While Cleveland’s offense clicked, Indiana struggled with efficiency and energy. The Pacers were outrebounded 35-17 in the first half and surrendered a staggering 21 second-chance points before halftime. Turner, who briefly left the game in the third quarter after landing awkwardly on his leg, returned to finish with 14 points, three blocks, and two rebounds in just under 22 minutes. But the Pacers never really recovered from their disastrous second quarter.

Making things worse, the officiating took center stage in the second half. Bennedict Mathurin and De’Andre Hunter were hit with double techs after a minor trash talk exchange. Mathurin’s protest—“We’re just talking!”—boomed over the jumbotron, and even Donovan Mitchell looked confused, saying, “It’s just basketball.”

Tensions boiled over when Rick Carlisle picked up a technical and a delay-of-game warning after screaming about a no-call on a Thomas Bryant layup. The Pacers’ head coach might’ve been trying to swing momentum, but instead, it only spotlighted the inconsistency in officiating.

Despite Darius Garland picking up four fouls in the first half and logging just 24 minutes, the Cavaliers didn’t miss a beat. They entered halftime up 21 and never looked back. Game 4 tips off Sunday night, with Indiana now holding a 2-1 lead in the series and looking to avoid another collapse.

Pacers’ fans go all out on the Refs….. Again, will it change anything? Guess not

As expected, NBA Twitter had no chill after this one — and for good reason. From double-tech nonsense to Rick Carlisle’s passionate protest, the officiating had fans pulling out receipts and roasting refs in real time.

“Lame double tech for Mathurin and Hunter there. Even Mathurin said to the ref, clear as day on the jumbotron, ‘we’re just talking!’” Refs handing out double techs like candy has been a thing for a while, even when there’s no real beef. In fact, back in a Bucks–Pacers game, Kevin Porter Jr. and Aaron Nesmith got dinged just for chirping during a dead ball. The league claims it’s about stopping things before they escalate — but when players are literally saying, “We’re just talking,” you gotta wonder who’s actually escalating it.

“Tech on Carlisle. He’s pissed about a no call on a Thomas Bryant layup at the basket and went right at an official. Refs tell Carlisle to go back to the bench and hit him with a delay of game too.” Carlisle’s not new to this — he’s true to this. The man’s been coaching with fire for years, and if he sees one of his guys get hacked at the rim with no whistle, best believe he’s letting the refs hear about it. This time, it cost him. One tech and a delay of game later, Carlisle was back on the bench, probably still fuming.

“Need Rick Carlisle to go on a multiple day whinge tour about the refs. Worked for Kenny Atkinson, why not have our own.” Shady? Maybe. Effective? Sometimes. Coaches going public with referee complaints isn’t a new trick. Kenny Atkinson pulled it off recently with the Cavs — after a loss where the NBA admitted several blown calls, he aired just enough frustration to make headlines without going full scorched-earth. Did it help in the long run? We’ll never know. But hey, if Carlisle wants to try the same play, the blueprint’s there.

“The inconsistency of NBA refs is a huge problem for the game. Last night, Draymond does everything in his power to get ejected and the refs look the other way. Tonight? Hunter and Mathurin do some harmless chirping and boom double-tech. This is ridiculous.” And here’s where it really hits home — consistency. Or lack of it. Draymond Green has practically made a career out of walking the technical tightrope. Just days ago, he got his fifth tech of the postseason after mixing it up with Naz Reid… and even that took a lot. Meanwhile, Hunter and Mathurin? Two words and they’re getting slapped with techs. Fans notice, and they’re not wrong to call it out.

When fans are quoting Jumbotron audio and referencing other coach whinge tours, it’s safe to say the officiating has officially become the storyline. Not great, NBA. Not great.