Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton lead Pacers to 121-116 victory over Cavaliers in the first game of the In-Season Tournament.

Myles Turner scored a season-high 27 points, Tyrese Haliburton hit a long-range 2-pointer with 17.7 seconds left, and the Indiana Pacers became the first winner in the NBA's new In-Season Tournament, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-116 on Friday night in Indianapolis.

The Pacers are temporarily atop East Group A in a six-division format that divides teams into groups of five.

Down by as many as 18 points, the Cavaliers set up a tense fourth quarter with a 34-point third-quarter outburst that cut the deficit to one point, 88-87, entering the final 12 minutes.

Six lead changes later, the Pacers led 113-106 before Evan Mobley converted a tip-in, Donovan Mitchell a 14-footer, and Darius Garland two free throws to make it a one-point game with 2:16 remaining.

But Haliburton took over, first sinking a pair of free throws with 2:04 remaining. The Indiana star then connected from just inside the arc with 17.7 seconds left, following a Mitchell 15-footer.

After Turner blocked Mobley's layup, the Cavaliers kept possession and had a chance to tie. But Caris LeVert missed a 3-pointer, and Haliburton hit four more foul shots to seal the Pacers' victory.

Turner had a team-high nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to go along with his team-high point total, while Haliburton had an 18-point, 13-assist double-double.

Bruce Brown (19 points), Buddy Hield (14 points), Jalen Smith (13) and Aaron Nesmith (13) also scored in double figures for Indiana.

Mitchell, who sat out the previous meeting, led the game with 38 points and a team-high nine assists. He was 4-for-7 on 3-pointers, but the Cavaliers were outscored 45-24 from beyond the arc by the Pacers.

Mobley had a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who dropped their fourth game in a row. Garland had 14 points as well, while LeVert had 13 and Georges Niang had 12.

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