Game 2 Prediction: Indiana Pacers Look To Take Command of The King
Indiana Pacers (1-0) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) -8.0
The Cleveland Cavaliers are well aware of the beating they received by the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round was not the way the new-look Cavaliers expected to start. Turns out, they didn’t finish that well, either. However, the 98-80 loss to the Pacers is long gone. The Cavaliers need an answer in Game 2. They are 8.0 point favorites, but that’s not going to get them a victory alone.
At this point in time, the Pacers are not fearing what the Cavaliers can do offensively. They held the Cavaliers to 104.8 points per game during the regular season. In fact, the Pacers won 3 of the 4 matchups against the Cavaliers. However, with both teams scoring well over a 100 points per contest in the regular season, Game 1 may seem like an outlier when we’re all said and done. Still, that doesn’t mean the Pacers can’t go into Quicken Loans Arena and complete the two-game road sweep. We just saw the Pelicans do the same thing on Tuesday night.
Yes, the Cavaliers have LeBron James. He finished Game 1 with an insignificant triple double. James accounted for 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the loss. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers only had three players reach double figure points, including J.R. Smith’s 15 points off the bench. Larry Nance also scored 10 points off the bench, meaning, James was the only starter to score in double digits. James didn’t shoot the ball in the first quarter of Game 1. He might attempt 10 shots in Game 2.
Inexplicably, Tristan Thompson only played two minutes. Kyle Korver played four minutes. Something tells me they are going to play a pivotal role in Game 2. The Cavaliers only snatched nine offensive rebounds. Thompson can remedy that problem. They also shot 8 of 34 from 3-point range in Game 1.
Victor Oladipo was brilliant in Game 1. He scored 32 points on 11 of 19 shooting. Oladipo even made 6 of 9 3-pointers in the win. Nobody is expecting Oladipo to continue to thrive from 3-point range in the same fashion. However, if he continues to get great opportunities, Oladipo should be able to make the Cavaliers’ defense pay. Furthermore, the Pacers didn’t shoot an outlandish percentage from 3-point range. Although Oladipo was over 66 percent from downtown, the Pacers shot just over 39 percent as a team. Therefore, plenty of teammates will have opportunities to improve their shooting on Wednesday night.
The Pacers must continue their well-rounded effort. Nobody had a double-double. Myles Turner came the closest with 16 points and 8 rebounds. They also did not have an abundance of assists. The Pacers finished with 19 dimes in Game 1. They assisted on roughly 52 percent of their made shots. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers assisted on 70 percent of their made shots.
If the Pacers are legit about winning this series we will see it in their Game 2 performance. The Cavaliers aren’t in panic mode just yet, but every playoff game is a must-win. This just has a little more stakes attached to them.
Score Prediction- Indiana 110 - Cleveland 105
