2025 NBA PLAYOFFS East Semifinals: #1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #4 Indiana Pacers (IND leads 1-0)

[bisme37]

Game 2: Tuesday May 6th, 7pm ET on TNT

[Mavrelous]

I expect this to be the most fun series offensively, Cavs have elite defense, and Pacers can defend this year, but these 2 teams have some really creative players in the open court and both have great ball movement, on talent, it's Cavs in 5, but Carlisle is a battle tested wily fox with decades of experience who will muck things up and throw weird punches, so I'm expecting to be wrong.

[Jadoogar]

Pacers have looked pretty good. I think Cavs should win but this should be a fun series. 2 versatile offensive teams with a lot of options. I think Cavs defense will eventually be enough

[ReggiesKnicks]

Cavaliers in 5

[SA37]

This is going to be a heck of a series. I am going to say Cleveland in 6, but I could absolutely see this going 7.

[tsherkin]

My first impulse is to say Cavs in 5, because I just think the defensive gap is so large.

[JujitsuFlip]

So again, trying to stay humble with the predictions here.

I think a strength of the Cavs is their depth and honestly the Pacers may somehow actually be deeper.

Spo threw some zone out in round 1 and i know Carlisle likes zone too, so it'll be interesting to see when he deploys those looks.

Cavs are #1 and Pacers #3 in ORtg thus far in the playoffs, so should be some high scoring games.

I have gotta go Cavs in 6 because of the year they're having, i think they gotta find a way to pull it out. Maybe Mitchell can finally make a conference final.

[mcfly1204]

I was told Miami matched up well with Cleveland's front court, how's Indiana sizing up?

[yoadknux]

Cavs are more talented. Both teams are deep.
I think the Pacers will upset game 1, but the series will go to 2-2. I say Cavs in 6

[bisme37]

Pacers were really tough vs my Celtics last playoffs. One of the most competitive sweeps I've seen and the games came down to execution in crunchtime. Indy seems to have learned and improved since then, not freaking out so much at the end of games, so I think they will take the Cavs to 6 or 7. But I do favor Cleveland to win.

[sp6r=underrated]

Pacers were really tough vs my Celtics last playoffs. One of the most competitive sweeps I've seen and the games came down to execution in crunchtime. Indy seems to have learned and improved since then, not freaking out so much at the end of games, so I think they will take the Cavs to 6 or 7. But I do favor Cleveland to win.

I like your point about competitive sweeps. It is a real thing.

Game 1
Indiana led 9:24.0
Boston led 38:48.0
Last Indiana Lead: OT 3:45 to go

Game 2 Blowout

Game 3
Boston led 12:40.0
Indiana led 34:56.0
Last Indiana Lead: 1:26 to go

Game 4
Boston led 18:09.0
Indiana led 24:26.0
Last Indiana Lead: 3:30

I'm not trying to imply Indiana was the better team in that series for they weren't. Boston did beat em 4 straight. But it was a competitive sweep and Indiana could leave that series feeling like they had the building blocks of a real team not that they were a pretender who was exposed.

[bisme37]

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[Gregoire]

Cavs in 6

[Cubbies2120]

Pacers in 6

[bfchs123]

Don't overlook the Pacers - they are now 20-4 over their last 24 games (incl. playoffs)

I definitely see this going 6 or 7

[Green89]

Don't overlook the Pacers - they are now 20-4 over their last 24 games (incl. playoffs)

I definitely see this going 6 or 7

Yes, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Pacers upset them.

[dakomish23]

Garland only played 2 games but he was incredible in the first round

24.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 7.0 APG
51.6% on 15.5 FGA
41.2% on 8.5 3PA
90.0% on 5.0 FTA

[Revived]

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[The High Cyde]

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That is hilarious lmao

[mcfly1204]

Garland only played 2 games but he was incredible in the first round

24.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 7.0 APG
51.6% on 15.5 FGA
41.2% on 8.5 3PA
90.0% on 5.0 FTA

I'll see your Garland stats, and raise you a Mobley:

8/17 from 3 (47%)

For reference, Mobley was a combined 5/19 (26%) in previous playoff series.