In a bounce-back victory over the Pacers, the Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who put the team on his back.

Mitchell has taken on a slightly different role this season, willingly taking a step back to purposely elevate and empower his younger teammates — Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t needed Donovan Mitchell to be the Donovan Mitchell of old this season. At least, not that often. He hasn’t been as aggressive as he’s usually been. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been as efficient,

Pascal Siakam scored 23 points and Bennedict Mathurin 19 for the Pacers, who had their six-game winning streak halted. Myles Turned added 17 points. The Cavaliers led 82-77 in the third quarter before going on a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers by Max Strus, Georges Niang and Mobley. Cleveland led 100-89 after three periods.

The Cavaliers arrived in Oklahoma City on Thursday boasting the best record in the NBA, but by the time the final buzzer sounded, they looked nothing like the juggernaut that had captured the league’s attention.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a big statement in their home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Unfortunately, they didn’t fare nearly as well in the rematch. The Thunder got the better of them with a 134-114 home win that was even more lopsided for the most part.