NBA playoffs: Mathurin ejected for closed-fist hit as Pacers push Cavs to brink

• Pacers guard ejected in first-quarter of Sunday's victory
• Indiana one game from eliminating East's No 1 seed
• Thunder tie series with Nuggets after strong finish

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

Even without one of their top scorers, the Pacers tied an NBA playoff record by taking a 41-point half-time lead and rolled past the Cavaliers 129-109 to take a 3-1 lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal series. With Donovan Mitchell missing the second half because of an injured left ankle, the Cavs had no chance to recover.