Well… that escalated quickly.

Cleveland Cavaliers fans sat down on Sunday night hoping for a competitive Game 4. Instead, they were handed a basketball horror movie — and the Pacers were the monsters jumping out of every corner. After 24 minutes of play, the Cavs weren’t just trailing — they were historically cooked. Indiana stomped into halftime with an 80-39 lead, and if you didn’t know it was real, you’d swear this box score came from a video game on rookie mode.

Look, we knew the Pacers had one of the deadliest offenses in the league. But this? This was an exorcism.

Indiana came out of the gates swinging, dropping a 38-23 bomb in the first quarter. Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse — boom — they detonated a 19-2 run to end the half, turning the game into a bloodbath. The Cavs defense was about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine.

Cleveland shot 25% from the field. That’s not basketball — that’s tax season. And from three? Just 26.3%. Those numbers fell harder than crypto in 2022. The only thing that worked? Free throws. 18-of-20 from the line. And that, folks, is what we call polishing a dumpster fire.

Donovan Mitchell was the lone bright spot, dropping 12 points in the half. But if you were hoping for help from the rest of the crew… yikes. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for three points. That’s not a duo — that’s a disappearing act.

Meanwhile, the Pacers turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a flamethrower. They shot 60% from the field, 66.7% from deep, and had fans partying like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Myles Turner turned into Klay Thompson for a hot minute, going 4-for-4 from three and finishing with 18 points in just 15 minutes. Pascal Siakam didn’t miss. Aaron Nesmith looked like a sniper. Even Obi Toppin was dunking like it was the Slam Dunk Contest.

Because this game wasn’t already wild enough, Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin got ejected in the first quarter after throwing a closed-fist shot at De’Andre Hunter’s chest. Hunter, not one to let it slide, gave him the Dikembe finger wag, chased him down, and gave him a two-handed shove to the hardwood.

Then came Myles Turner flying in like WWE’s Kane, knocking Hunter over like a bowling pin.

After a lengthy review, Mathurin got hit with a flagrant 2 and was ejected to a chorus of boos. Hunter and Turner got T’d up. And somewhere, Adam Silver probably rubbed his temples and muttered, “Not again.”

Mathurin had been one of Indiana’s emotional leaders and top scorers, so losing him could’ve been a blow. But nope — not tonight. The rest of the Pacers looked like they had 99-rated 2K sliders turned on.

Fan Reactions: Cavs fans are lighting it up

“If I am Cleveland, I would mess up @Pacers rhythm and leave the Arena and forfeit the 2nd half.” Look, this take is hilarious and coming from veteran Eddie A Johnson makes it further comical  — and honestly, not too far off how some Cavs fans were feeling. But let’s put it into perspective. The biggest playoff comeback in NBA history? The Clippers came back from 31 down against the Warriors in 2019. Cleveland was down 41. So yeah… unless LeBron was walking through that door in a Cavs jersey, this wasn’t looking promising.

“The Pacers made as many shots in the final 5 minutes of the 2nd quarter as the Cavs did in that entire first half…” That’s not even an exaggeration. The Cavs went 8-for-32. Indiana went 30-for-50. And yes, in just the final stretch of the second quarter, it felt like every Pacer not named Bennedict was hitting everything from the popcorn stand. The Cavs offense hasn’t looked this frozen since Olaf hit the court.

“‘The Pacers will never shoot that good again’ – Cavs fans after Game 1.” Spoiler alert: They did. And maybe even better. In Game 1, the Pacers shot 52.8% from deep. Game 4? 66.7%. That’s not shooting — that’s sorcery. The Cavs’ perimeter defense was so late on rotations, it looked like they were buffering on dial-up.

“Lmaooo Indiana Pacers really banging the hell out of the Cavaliers 😂😂😂 Allowing 80 pts through your basket in the first half is atrocious” Let’s be real — allowing 80 points in a half isn’t just atrocious. It’s historic. For context, the Cavs once held a 72-31 halftime lead over Boston in the 2017 playoffs. Now, they’re on the other side of a 41-point beatdown. Life really does come at you fast.

With the Pacers now leading the series 3-1, the Cavaliers head back to Cleveland for Game 5 on May 13 at 7 p.m. ET. But let’s be honest — this isn’t just about Xs and Os anymore. This is about the heart. Because right now, Cavs fans aren’t mad — they’re embarrassed.

So to the Cleveland Cavaliers: wake up. Game 5 is your last chance to remind fans why they believed in you in the first place.