Matchup
As the best-of-seven first-round series between the Pacers and Cavaliers shifts back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday night, both teams probably feel like they could have a 3-1 lead.
Cleveland has dominated the first half in each of the past three games, but let a 17-point halftime lead slip away in Game 3 in Indianapolis on Friday.
The Pacers, on the other hand, had a golden chance to follow up with another come-from-behind victory on Sunday night, taking the lead on three occasions in the fourth quarter only to watch the Cavaliers get hot down the stretch and hand Indiana a 104-100 defeat.
And so, Indiana heads back to Cleveland knowing it needs to win at least one more game at Quicken Loans Arena to end LeBron James and the Cavs' three-year reign as Eastern Conference champions.
PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Playoff News, Tickets, and More »
For that to happen, the Pacers will need better production from All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who struggled with his shot in the two games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse over the weekend. Oladipo went just 10-for-35 from the field and 4-for-16 from 3-point range in Games 3 and 4, including a dismal second half on Sunday, when he made just 2-of-13 shots down the stretch.
In his postgame press conference, Oladipo downplayed his struggles and promised to "learn from it" and be "better next game." The Pacers did get strong performances from other players in Game 4 (particularly their centers Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis), but they will need an improved showing from Oladipo on Wednesday on the road.
That is particularly true if the Cavaliers get another strong showing from their supporting cast. James is going to get his, just like he did on Sunday, racking up 32 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.
But beyond James and fellow All-Star Kevin Love, the Cavs have gotten inconsistent production from the rest of their roster this season. That was not the case in Game 5, as Cleveland's role players went 12-for-26 from 3-point range (James and Love, meanwhile, were a combined 0-for-8 from beyond the arc). Kyle Korver and JR Smith each made four threes to help spark the Cavs' offense.
Projected Starters
Darren Collison
Victor Oladipo
Bojan Bogdanovic
Thaddeus Young
Myles Turner
Jose Calderon
JR Smith
Kyle Korver
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Cavaliers: PG - Jose Calderon, SG - JR Smith, SF - Kyle Korver, PF - LeBron James, C - Kevin Love
Injury Report
Pacers: None
Cavaliers: George Hill - questionable (back spasms)
Last Meeting
April 22, 2018: The Pacers mounted another impressive comeback from an early double-digit deficit, but faltered down the stretch in a 104-100 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Cleveland led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but the Blue & Gold stormed back and actually held a narrow lead with four minutes to play. But the Cavs scored on four straight possessions down the stretch — alternating between Kyle Korver 3-pointers and LeBron James driving layups — to come away with the win.
"They made more plays than us," explained Darren Collison after the game. "Korver had some big shots down the stretch. We kind of settled, didn't get the looks that we wanted in the last couple of minutes."
Domantas Sabonis had a playoff career-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench for Indiana, while Myles Turner added 17 points and Thaddeus Young (12 points and 16 rebounds) recorded a double-double.
James led all scorers with 32 points to go along with 13 rebounds and seven assists. Korver added 18 points, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range and 6-for-7 from the free throw line.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers had seven different players (all five starters plus Sabonis and Lance Stephenson) score in double figures in Game 4. Indiana had not had more than four players score 10 or more points in any of the first three games of the series.
- Cavs starting point guard and Indianapolis native George Hill missed Game 4 due to back spasms he experienced after aggravating an injury in Game 3.
- Cleveland gave rotation minutes to center Tristan Thompson for the first time all series in Game 4, though he was ineffective, registering just one rebound and one assist in 7:28.
Tickets
The Pacers and Cavaliers will return to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Friday, April 27 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The start time for Game 6 is still TBD. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
TNT - Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Brent Barry (analyst), Allie LaForce (sideline reporter)
Radio: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)