Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was ejected in the first quarter of Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday after hitting De’Andre Hunter in the chest with a closed fist.

A change of scenery certainly served the Cleveland Cavaliers well.

Donovan Mitchell had 43 points and nine rebounds, and the finally full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana 126-104 on Friday night to cut the Pacers’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tyrese Haliburton made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining and the Indiana Pacers scored the final eight points in 47.9 seconds to stun the short handed and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

Kenny Atkinson’s biggest concern going into Cleveland’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against Indiana was trying to match up against the Pacers’ quick-tempo offense.

Cleveland left no doubt on its way to Round 2 — and finished off the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history.

Cleveland took a 39-point halftime lead over Miami on Monday night in Game 4 of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series, the third-largest lead after two quarters in NBA playoff history.

Jarrett Allen scored 22 points, De’Andre Hunter added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers handed Miami its worst-ever playoff loss by topping the Heat 124-87 for a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 121-112 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The New York Knicks aren’t worried about what their 0-8 record against Cleveland and Boston might mean in the playoffs.

Darius Garland scored 28 points, Evan Mobley had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 135-113 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Paolo Banchero scored 24 points, Franz Wagner added 22 and the Orlando Magic stunned Cleveland 108-103 to end the Cavaliers’ winning streak at 16 games.

The wins and accomplishments keep piling up for the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

Darius Garland scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 109-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, matching the longest winning streak in franchise history at 15.

Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for their 13th straight victory, 118-117 over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Darius Garland had 10 assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers survived some sloppiness in the final two minutes to win their 12th straight game, 112-107 over the banged-up Miami Heat.

The game hasn’t gotten easy for the Los Angeles Lakers since the trade deadline.

Once the whistles stopped blowing, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome cried foul.

The final numbers from trade-deadline time: no fewer than eight current and past All-Stars, some of them recent All-NBA selections, some among the league’s highest scorers and even three Olympic gold medalists, all of them headed to new homes.

Trae Young made a 23-foot fadeaway with 1.6 seconds left and scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-130 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Trae Young hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from beyond the halfcourt line to give the Atlanta Hawks a 124-121 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Trae Young had 22 points and 11 assists, De’Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson outplayed the Knicks frontcourt and the Atlanta Hawks took their surprising NBA Cup run all the way to the semifinals in Las Vegas, beating New York 108-100 on Wednesday night.

De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, and the patched-together Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 30-point deficit for a stunning 120-118 victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.

Trae Young extended his recent hot streak with another double-double, scoring 31 points with 15 assists, as the Atlanta Hawks beat Detroit 130-124, handing the Pistons their 24th consecutive loss.

Jayson Tatum had 29 points and an emphatic dunk to end a clinching late run and the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 119-106 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Trae Young scored 35 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Detroit Pistons 118-113 on Wednesday night to open a two-game set at Little Caesars Arena.

Dejounte Murray scored 25 points in his Atlanta debut and the Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 123-113 on in the NBA’s first game in the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Gulf.

Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved into the Eastern Conference semifinals by beating the Atlanta Hawks 97-94.

Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-86 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

Trae Young hit a floater in the lane with 4.4 seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 16-point deficit in the second half to beat top-seeded Miami 111-110 on Friday night, cutting the Heat’s series lead to 2-1.

Jimmy Butler scored a playoff career-high 45 points, including a personal 7-0 run in the final moments, and the Miami Heat held off the Atlanta Hawks 115-105 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night.

Game 1s brought greatness out of some.

Duncan Robinson set a Miami playoff record with eight 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat forced Trae Young into matching the worst-shooting game of his career on the way to a 115-91 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday.

Trae Young bounced back from a sluggish start to score 24 points and De’Andre Hunter led a third-quarter surge that carried the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-103 play-in rout of the Charlotte Hornets.

Trae Young scored 36 points, including nine points in the final minute, and the streaking Atlanta Hawks overcame Kevin Durant’s career-high 55 points to hold off the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 for their fifth consecutive win.

DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points while extending an NBA-record streak, and the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls squeezed by the Atlanta Hawks 112-108.

Trae Young scored 36 points and the Atlanta Hawks earned their seventh straight win by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-121.

LeBron James has continued swelling in his left knee and is not with the Los Angeles Lakers against the Atlanta Hawks.

The struggling Atlanta Hawks have traded forward Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for a protected 2022 first-round draft pick.

The Atlanta Hawks are dealing with another injury that could affect their preparations for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP.

John Collins is set to play a key role for the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Trae Young overcame a cold start to score 25 points, including a floater that gave Atlanta the lead with 1:17 remaining, and the Hawks rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 103-100.

Joel Embiid scored 27 points and the Philadelphia 76ers rode a dominant third quarter to a 127-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks and a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Atlanta Hawks’ recent home success provides good reason for optimism in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Trae Young put the finishing touches on his impressive first playoff series with 36 points and nine assists, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 103-89 in Game 5.

Shaking off a spitting incident at Madison Square Garden, Trae Young dazzled in the first home playoff game of his career.

Derrick Rose scored 26 points, Julius Randle shook off a miserable first half to lead a third-quarter turnaround and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 in Game 2 to to tie the series.

The Atlanta Hawks spent three miserable years totally rebuilding their team, all with the idea of finally making a big move this season.

Clint Capela scored 18 points to lead seven scorers in double figures and the Atlanta Hawks pulled away late to overcome Devin Booker’s 30 points and beat the Phoenix Suns 135-103.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) shoots over Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (25) and forward Jae Crowder (99) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)PHOENIX – Devin Booker scored 21 points, Dario Saric added 20 and the Phoenix Suns held on in the final minutes to beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-110 on Tuesday night. The Suns have won six of their past seven games, while the Hawks have dropped four of five. Ayton finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Chris Paul had 12 points and eight assists. AdThe Hawks trailed by 12 points at halftime, but cut the Suns' advantage to 89-85 by the end of the third quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, top, is fouled by Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari (8) as he goes to the basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – Anthony Davis scored 25 points and LeBron James dominated down the stretch as the Los Angeles Lakers closed out a nearly two-week trip with a 107-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Los Angeles went 5-2 while playing seven road games in 12 days, certainly looking like the fresher team in the closing minutes against the Hawks. AdAtlanta appeared to be taking control, ripping off eight straight points late in the third for a 76-70 lead. ... Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine meetings against Atlanta.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) fouls Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – LaMelo Ball isn't wasting any time making an impact in the NBA. “I live my life and I know what I’m capable of, so stuff like doesn’t move me like that," Ball said. “I know that's supposed to happen.”Ball replaced Markelle Fultz as the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double by 177 days. He became only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double and the first Hornets player to do it coming off the bench.

For the first time in his long career, Rondo is the oldest guy on the team. “To be honest, I’ve been doing that for the last five or six years of my career,” Rondo said. I've been working to understand young talent, understand the (collective bargaining agreement). This is a young team with so much upside and versatility. ... We're on the the upswing for great things here in the city of Atlanta.”His future career can wait.

But if you were watching the NBA Draft on Thursday night and weren't following every trade, you probably thought otherwise. With multiple trades occurring in both rounds last night, it's easy to get confused about what teams own what pick, because the NBA has made it this way. The NBA has some fairly strict rules that get followed on trades, with most trades agreed to in recent days held in flux until the new league year starts on July 6. And while Culver wore a Suns hat in every draft night photo, everyone knew he was actually going to Minnesota. With NBA Summer League starting on July 1, teams won't be able to get prospects they traded for playing until trades clear on July 6.