• Tweet

• Tweet

If the Cavs could only skip halftime.

Again on Saturday night at home, the Cavs played a solid 24 minutes to start the game, only to then fall apart in the second half as they fell to 4-5 with a 99-85 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

“I think we were out there flying around, they hit some tough shots,” Cavs forward J.J. Hickson said. “We were still trying our defensive principles, they just hit some tough shots.”

They being mostly Pacers forward Danny Granger, who put in 34 points on 13 for 21 shooting to go along with 5 of 8 from three-point land.

The Pacers were 10 for 25 from behind the three-point arc, while the Cavs were just 2 for 15. Indiana was also a perfect 17 for 17 from the free throw line, while the Cavs were 19 for 23.

“I just thought we stopped playing,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said. “And that’s two straight second halves, obviously the third quarter has been an issue all season long, one thing I talked about with the guys is we have to figure out what’s going on in the second half.”

The Cavs did get a good night from Ramon Sessions (17 points), who was playing the point for the injured Mo Williams. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 19 points, but three of the 5 Cavs starters (Jamario Moon, Ryan Hollins and Anthony Parker) all had less than five points.

The Pacers trailed the Cavs by four at the end of one 30-26, and the teams went into the locker room tied at 54 at the half, but Indiana took control with a strong third quarter.

The Cavs were just 5 for 19 shooting in the third, while the Pacers were 7 for 21 with Roy Hibbert hitting for 6 points and Mike Dunleavy going for five as Indiana led by five at the end of three.

The fourth was just as bad, as Granger and Dunleavy each hit for 10 as the Pacers outscored the Cavs 26 to 17 to take home the 14 points win.

The Cavs have lost two straight, and their only win in front of their home fans was the emotional opener vs the Celtics.

Cleveland will be at home Tuesday for the 76ers.