2025 East Semifinals: (1) Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

OK fellas, I went for a walk and missed the 2nd half. Please tell me how the Pacers won.

From the box score, despite have 9 more TOs and 6 fewer offensive rebounds, it appears the Pacers won purely because they hit 7 more 3s despite taking ~same number as the Cavs. Was it that simple? Did the Cavs give up a bunch of wide open looks?

 

Pretty much, shot the lights out, but it was not dominated by any one shooter or even two (though Nemhard was awesome). The Cavs played Mitchell hero ball. It got them a lead finally, but shot making by an entire squad, >50%, is hard to overcome.

The Pacers also played fast even late, when teams might normally pull back.

I don't think it was bad perimeter defense as much as the Pacers kept getting into the lane, drawing a double team, then making two passes and a getting a 3. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The Cavs will shoot better, the Pacers will shoot worse, but the Pacers will also turn it over less.

We have a series, I think.

 

Do I think the Pacers are a great team not really, but Mitchell is a chucker and he will shoot the Cavs outta some wins and cost them the series.

 

The Cavs need to pay their due one more year before they can consider themselves a real contender.

Pacers will shock them.

 

Nah, this can't be real

 

Nembhard is a nice complementary player, in the regular season. Career 9.6 ppg, 34% from 3, 4.6 assists/game. But in the playoffs he is something much more. Career in the playoffs 15.3 ppg, 55% on all FGs, 51% on 3's, 5.4 assists/game. Excelling in big moment makes, always guarding the best perimeter player on the other team. This is in 23 career playoff games, so it is looking like a real effect.

This postseason: 16.3 ppg, 57% from 3, 52% overall, 100% on FTs (10-10). Sure, his minutes are up a little from the regular season (29 to 33 min), but there still seems to be a BIG BALLS effect. Maybe... the new Sam Cassell???

 

mobley was a -20 last night by the way

Allen was terrible and mitchell was a chucker. Nembard has been going crazy from 3 and he was a 30 percent or so shooter from 3 in the regular season

 

He was phenomenal for Canada at the Olympics and SGA raved about him.

 

Pacers will this series if Garland isn't back soon.

 

I don't know if I agree but their chances go up considerably if he doesn't.

 

Kenny Atkinson comments with Garland, Mobley and Hunter in doubt for game 2: "There were two plays that...crossed the line where it became excessive. No. 1 was the non-call on De’Andre's layup...And then Evan, Turner contests his shot, comes clearly under him...he was limping the rest of the game."

 

He was playing hurt and the two best defenders (Nembhard for a month, Nesmith for >2 months) were injured and inactive. They also lost both backup bigs to achilles injuries.

Since Jan 1 they have been a top 4 team in every way. Not just a top 4 team in the East, but top 4 in the league overall. And they've been getting progressively better

 

Here's the Mobley injury. It wasn't a close-out, it was a baby hook in the lane and he came down on Turner's foot. Do you see anything dirty there?

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CF...' Turnaround Hook Shot (20 PTS) (Jerome 8 AST

 

Hunter's dislocated thumb--- from the replay, Mathurin made no contact with the thumb at all, it appears. I think he dislocated it by landing on it.



As mentioned above for the Mobley sprained ankle, I don't see anything dirty at all, either

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CF...' Turnaround Hook Shot (20 PTS) (Jerome 8 AST

Bad breaks? Sure.
Plays that "crossed a line in physicality"??? No way

 

ESPN picks

Tim MacMahon: Cavaliers in 6
Kevin Pelton: Cavaliers in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Cavaliers in 6
Andre Snellings: Cavaliers in 6
Jorge Sedano: Cavaliers in 7
Jerry Bembry: Cavaliers in 6
Dave McMenamin: Cavaliers in 6
Jamal Collier: Cavaliers in 6
Chris Herring: Cavaliers in 6
Marc Spears: Cavaliers in 6
Jeremy Woo: Cavaliers in 6
Tim Bontemps: Cavaliers in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Cavaliers in 6

Final tally:
Cleveland 13, Indiana 0