On Tuesday, May 13, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5.
This would bring the historic wine and gold season to a shocking end.
WHAT HAPPENED?
LOSING THE MENTAL BATTLE
Wait, wasn’t this the story coming out of the Knicks series two years ago?
While it may be frustrating to admit, the team understands that there is still a barrier that needs to be broken through.
In Cleveland, they believe that they possess the pieces to fight for the championship.
Indiana plays a distinct style compared to most of the NBA. They love to run at any opportunity. It feels like they just operate and process things faster than anybody else.
Throughout the playoffs, the Pacers have been the most efficient team in transition.
Their hustle doesn’t stop there.
On offense, they have made the most passes per game in the playoffs. Evidence of their elite ball and player movement. Defensively, they have been full-court pressuring teams, leaving them fatigued by the end of the game. On top of that, Indiana has been immensely physical on and off the ball.
With this in mind, you begin to understand how they took the Cavs out of what they wanted to do.
Eventually, Indiana’s style of play wore on the Cavs. Couple that with the injuries sustained, and Cleveland just couldn’t match Indiana’s relentless attack. Cleveland shot a horrid 29.4% from deep in the second round. This anomalous shooting percentage plagued the Cavs, who boasted the second-best three-point percentage in the regular season.
Indiana’s shot-making, pressure, and physicality ultimately made the difference.
NOT ENOUGH HELP
One of the sole bright spots of what happened is that Donovan Mitchell looked every bit of his All-NBA First Team selection through the first three games. Unfortunately, his gas tank began to run on fumes towards the end.
With Darius Garland visibly hampered, the team needed somebody to step up in a big way. Under these circumstances, Evan Mobley should’ve seen the ball more. During a season when he found himself on the All-NBA Second Team, this was a prime opportunity.
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Mobley would average 11.3 shot attempts per game in the second round.
Despite struggling in Game 1, Kenny Atkinson stuck with Ty Jerome in Game 2. In a game decided by one point, Jerome would only make one of 14 shots.
De’Andre Hunter and Max Strus struggled to find consistent rhythms in this series. Both would go on to shoot under 40% from the field.
GAME FOUR
Game 4 was like a fever dream. After regaining some reinforcements in the previous game, it seemed as if the momentum had shifted.
Indiana completely blitzed the Cavs, and the contest was over before the second half even started. Ball and player movement destroyed the Cavs in a way that deflated them. After an 80-39 opening half and Donovan Mitchell tweaking his ankle while trying to warm up, the game was lost.
During Game 3, Kenny found success using a 3-2 zone with Mobley at the top. Rick Carlisle was prepared to attack this in game four by having a screen set up top, opening the lane to attack the two backline defenders.
As Atkinson was searching for answers, Carlisle had all of them in his back pocket.
Indiana continued to generate open threes through either drive-and-kick or simply making the Cavs help in the paint, taking advantage of the Cavs’ defensive schemes. Whether it was zone or man, the Pacers continued to operate like a well-oiled machine.
It feels like for a moment, this game made the Cavs forget who they are.
SERIES SUMMARY
However you want to look at it, Cleveland was outclassed by a team that looked ready for the moment. Sure, the Cavs couldn’t throw a rock into the ocean and couldn’t stay healthy, but the Pacers had a rebuttal for seemingly everything.
In today’s game, winning the three-point battle goes a long way. This time, it was a one-sided affair. Give credit to Indiana— they generated better looks and converted on them. Maybe the Cavs’ legs didn’t quite have the lift they usually did, thanks to the persistent pressure put on them by Indiana’s defense.
For a team known for its incredible depth during the regular season, that strength turned into a weakness when it mattered most. Meanwhile, Indy continued to get lift from their reserves.
Rick Carlisle coached a fantastic series, moving players around like chess pieces, discovering openings at will. His team closed out games much better than the Cavs as well.
It will be a long summer for the Ohio team. Doubt will fill the minds of fans, and the media will relentlessly question them. As Mitchell has stated, they know it’s coming.
It’s up to them to rewrite the story.
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