Game Preview: Cavaliers v Pacers

The Indiana Pacers (42-40) are looking to get past the first round of the
postseason for the first time in two years, after exiting early last year at the
hands of the Toronto Raptors. In what was an up-and-down season for the club,
Indiana emerged as seventh seed in the Eastern Conference in what became a tight
battle down the stretch. How far the team goes this year will be dependent, as
always, on the performance of Paul George, who led the Pacers in scoring this
season with 23.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in suiting up for all but seven games.
Jeff Teague, coming off his first full season with the unit, will be looked upon
to facilitate George’s scoring opportunities, as the eighth year veteran leads
the roster in assists with an average of 7.8 per outing. If the series doesn’t
pan out for the Pacers, offseason changes will surely be in the offing for the
inconsistent assemblage of talent, one that is mediocre at best on both ends of
the court. The last time Indiana and Cleveland met in the Playoffs was in 1998,
with the Pacers besting the Cavs in the first round, 3-1. The defending NBA
Champion Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31) will just be happy to see their regular
season come to a close, one that saw the team go a disappointing 10-14 in March
and April. The primary concern down the stretch revolved around the club’s
defensive efficiency, as they finished their repeat campaign ranked 20th in
defense in allowing opponents to hang an average of 107.2 points on them.
Nevertheless, the Cavs remain poised to turn on the jets when it counts,
entering the field with a healthy starting five, led by LeBron James, who
averaged a team-high 26.4 points through the season. Not far behind was Kyrie
Irving with 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per match-up. Quicken Loans Arena has
served as a welcome respite for the team this year, where they’ve dropped only
10 games since October. Cleveland has swept their opponents 4-0 in the first
round of the last two seasons (ousting the Detroit Pistons in 2016 and the
Boston Celtics in 2015).