What happened
Jarrett Allen converted a one-foot cutting dunk off an Evan Mobley assist with 2:45 left in the second quarter. The bucket trimmed the deficit to 44-52. The Mobley-to-Allen connection again served as Cleveland's interior pressure release.
Why it matters
Cleveland's frontcourt tandem has been the swing variable in this postseason run, and live looks like this one matter because the Cavaliers need their bigs producing high-efficiency rim attempts to stay in games where their perimeter shooting cools. Mobley's passing out of double teams is the throughline — when he hits Allen on cuts, Cleveland's offense holds together. Falling behind by double digits early in a playoff game compounds quickly, so trimming the run before halftime is meaningful.
What to watch
Watch whether Cleveland can close the gap before halftime and how often the Mobley-Allen two-man action gets called in the third quarter.