The Pacers deliver sizzling start to series, beat Cavs to take 1-0 lead

The Pacers were wildly successful shooting from behind the arc which helped them rebuff a few Cavs' runs that made for a highly entertaining Game 1 to begin the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Pacers started fast and finished strong to hold off the Cavaliers and win Game 1 on the road, 121-112. This was a game filled with unique and stunning attributes that won’t be repeated.

Among the areas that will be hard to sustain for the Pacers was their 19 for 36 (52.8%) shooting effort from 3-land. With the Pacers trying to stay with the shooters, instead of helping too much in the lane, the Cavs’ shooters struggled to find the range making just 9 of 38 threes which gave the Pacers a +30 advantage from deep.

The Pacers were also -10 in the turnover category which gave the Cavs a +13 scoring advantage off the donations. The rebounding numbers ended up even, but the Cavs were +6 on the offensive glass which helped them win the possession game and create a +17 scoring advantage on second chance points.

So while it is easy to focus on the 3-point disparity and the likelihood that will even out. The Pacers have plenty of adjustments to make to improve in other areas at both ends of the floor.

The Pacers have to find a way to beat the Cavs four times, but they don’t have to beat the Cavs the same way all four times.

The Cavs did the bulk of their damage in the pain, mostly with many dribble drives in the lane by Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome. Both had stretches of great success, but they had to work and between them ended up not being very efficient with Mitchell scoring 33 points on 30 shots and Jerome adding 21 points on 20 shots.

The Pacers backcourt did some heavy lifting, as well with Andrew Nembhard making 5 of 6 threes, to finish with 23 points and 6 assists. He also chased Mitchell around quite a bit on defense. Tyrese Haliburton added 22 points and 13 assists and also made some big plays on defense with three blocks, including two timely stops in the second half. Both guards combined for just 2 of the Pacers’ 17 turnovers.

Straying away from the numbers, this game was everything you could as for to begin the series, well, at least for fans in Indiana. The building was hyped, the energy and effort on both ends was at a high level as the Cavs took an early haymaker when the Pacers puts a 10-0 run on them late in the first quarter.

The Cavs had an early 9-2 run in the second quarter, but the Pacers stopped the bleeding and took a six point lead to the break. The Pacers started the third quarter strong, keeping the Cavs at arm’s length, but with these two teams, no lead is safe at any time.

Donovan Mitchell spearheaded a 13-0 run late in the third quarter as the Pacers were working through their reserve rotation. In Cleveland they call in a Cavalanche and it was happening, but the Pacers were able to avoid getting buried. Instead, they were able to get a stop and have their own 5-0 run after falling behind by four when Bennedict Mathurin drained a 3-ball. Myles Turner beat the buzzer to end the third with another 3-pointer to give the Pacers an emotional boost and a 2-point lead heading to the fourth quarter.

The game was a white knuckler until the Pacers went on a 15-4 run midway through the fourth quarter, stunning everyone but themselves. The growth in maturity compared to last season to once, again apparent as the Pacers handled a tight, pressure-filled finish and had fun doing so.

The Cavs emerged from Game 1 with more injury concerns. Darius Garland did not play in Game 1, still nursing a painful toe injury. He will likely try to give it a go in Game 2, but may be hampered a bit, if reports of the severity are to be believed.

In addition to Garland, De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley are both questionable. Hunter injured his thumb when Mathurin smothered chicken’d his shot at the rim, which was a critical play to help the Pacers gain back some momentum. Mobley reportedly hurt his ankle on a midrange jumper when he landed on Myles Turner’s root. The Cavs are not happy about the physical plays that have their guys hurting, since they didn’t get the calls in the game. They’re not playing the Heat anymore.

The injury issue will no doubt be a major storyline going forward, particularly if those guys can’t go. The Pacers have to pay it no mind and continue pushing forward with their process to find ways to win. The Pacers style of play with the pace and pressure they put on opposing defenses is no fun to play. Even in Game 1, the Cavs wore down as the game moved into winning time.

Cleveland will no doubt adjust and Donovan Mitchell is always a 40-ball waiting to happen. Even with the dicey injury report for the Cavs, the Pacers are 9-point underdogs for Game 2. But the Pacers put themselves in a good spot with their Game 1 performances which should continue to make this a must watch series.

Game 2: Pacers vs. Cavaliers

Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

When: Tuesday, May. 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +9

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

Cavaliers: Sam Merrill, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Injuries

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out

Cavaliers: Darius Garland (toe) - questionable, Evan Mobley (ankle) - questionable, De’Andre Hunter (thumb) - questionable