The Cleveland Cavaliers have recently had the upper hand over the Indiana Pacers, including a tight 120–116 Cavs win in Indianapolis on January 6, 2026 that extended Indiana’s franchise‑record losing streak to 13 games.

Quick Scoop: Cavaliers vs Pacers

Latest Result & Scoreline

  • On January 6, 2026, the Cavaliers beat the Pacers 120–116 in Indiana.
  • Darius Garland led Cleveland with 29 points, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter to fuel a late rally.
  • Evan Mobley added 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, giving the Cavs a versatile two‑way anchor.
  • Pascal Siakam paced the Pacers with 22 points and 4 rebounds in the loss.
  • The win moved Cleveland to 21–17, while Indiana fell to 6–31 and suffered its 13th straight defeat, the longest losing streak in franchise history.

Recent Head‑to‑Head Trend

Over the last few meetings, the scoreboard has tilted toward Cleveland and usually with high offensive output:

  • Nov 21, 2025: Cavaliers 120 – 109 Pacers.
  • Dec 2, 2025: Cavaliers 135 – 119 Pacers.
  • Jan 6, 2026: Cavaliers 120 – 116 Pacers.

Cavs vs Pacers recent games

[8] [8] [10] [10] [1][9] [9][1]
Date Home Away Final score Winner
Nov 21, 2025 Cavaliers Pacers 120–109Cavaliers
Dec 2, 2025 Pacers Cavaliers 119–135Cavaliers
Jan 6, 2026 Pacers Cavaliers 116–120Cavaliers
Cleveland has cleared 120 points in all three of these recent matchups, while Indiana has still managed to score at least 109 each time, signaling consistently high‑paced, offense‑driven games.

How Fans Are Talking About It

On Pacers fan forums, the Cavs matchup is framed as a serious challenge:

  • Fans emphasize that Cleveland’s defense is far more disciplined than some prior opponents, especially on the perimeter, calling it a “relentless 3pt defense.”
  • There’s a theme of the Pacers needing to play like underdogs: pushing tempo, letting Tyrese Haliburton (often referred to as “Ty”) run the offense for heavy minutes, and balancing last season’s explosive offense with better defensive toughness.
  • Some Pacers supporters admit they don’t “expect” to win a full series against the Cavs but think Indiana can make it competitive, even pushing it to six games with the right health and luck.

From the Cavs side, one fan bluntly argued that “you can’t stop the Cavs offense, you need to score a lot,” though others pushed back, pointing out that Cleveland’s scoring can be stifled when opponents run them off their spots or when outside shots aren’t falling.

“Best case scenario is steal game one. Set the tone.” – a Pacers fan on how to approach a potential playoff series vs the Cavaliers.

Matchup Storylines & Styles

Key themes that keep coming up in analysis and fan discussions:

  • Cavs edge in defense
    • Cleveland’s improved defensive identity, especially on the perimeter, worries Pacers fans who are used to leaning on three‑point volume and spacing.
* With Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs can wall off the paint, forcing Indiana into tougher jumpers and contested drives. (This fits with the box score profile of recent games where Cavs still win despite Pacers’ decent scoring totals.)
  • Pacers offensive firepower vs consistency
    • Indiana fans believe they have enough offense to “play against this team,” but repeatedly come back to the question: “Can we stop the Cavs?”
* There’s a push for more from secondary guards like Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell (often shortened to Benn and TJ) as rim‑runners who can pull the Cavs defense out of position.
  • Playoff series imagination
    • Many Pacers fans see a potential Cavs series as uphill, but not hopeless: underdog mentality, aiming to “steal Game 1,” and hoping health plus a few breaks can swing things.

Trending & What’s Next

As of early February 2026, this matchup keeps surfacing in:

  • Game highlight packages for January’s action, where the January 6th thriller is part of nightly recaps and full‑game highlight uploads.
  • Ongoing forum debates about seeding, playoff paths, and which East teams match up best against the Cavs’ size and defense versus the Pacers’ speed and spacing.

If these trends hold, any upcoming Cavaliers vs Pacers game will likely:

  • Be high‑scoring with both teams pushing pace.
  • Feature Garland and Mobley as focal points for Cleveland, with Siakam and Haliburton‑driven offense as Indiana’s best counter.
  • Come with a narrative of “can the Pacers finally stop this streak and slow down the Cavs offense?” grounded in their recent losses and fan anxieties.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.