In the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the #2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31) will take on the #7 seeded Indiana Pacers (42-40). The Cavaliers won the regular season series 3-1. Game 1 will tip off on Saturday at 3:00 PM EST on ABC.
When looking at this series from a distance, what stands out is the matchup between LeBron James and Paul George. LeBron James is looking to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their third straight NBA Finals appearance while Paul George is trying to lead the Pacers to their first playoff series win since the 2013-14 season, a season in which they lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Both guys are the engine of their teams and really need to deliver the goods in order for their team to advance to the second round.
One of the biggest factors going into this series is momentum or the lack thereof. The Cavaliers have won 4 of their last 10 games and have lost 4 straight games while the Pacers are on a 5 game winning streak, having won 6 of their last 10 games. The combination of the Cavaliers struggling down the stretch and the Pacers finding their groove to sneak into the playoffs could be a recipe for an upset in Game 1 on Saturday. The Pacers know that in order to win this series, they probably need to get a split in Cleveland and Saturday should be the easier game to accomplish this task. If the Pacers can get the split in Cleveland, this series could get really interesting.
In addition to the presence of LeBron James and Paul George, the supporting casts of both of these teams will be vital. For the Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving will need to step up as LeBron James' sidekick and take the pressure off of him. Kyrie Irving has the capability to be the best player on the floor due to his wicked ball handling and silky smooth jump shot. While containing LeBron James is nearly impossible, trying to put the clamps down on Kyrie Irving is almost as tough. If Kyrie Irving is able to have a big series in addition to LeBron James, odds are good the Cavaliers will have too much for the Pacers to handle.
As for the Pacers, Jeff Teague is a player who needs to have a big series. As the floor general of this team, Jeff Teague is expected to score and get others involved on offense. Teague is averaging 15.3 points and 7.8 assists per game, making him one of the better point guards in the league. The matchup between Jeff Teague and Kyrie Irving at the point guard position will be crucial to this series and also very entertaining. Both guys do a great job at running the offense and it will certainly be fun to watch both guys battle it out in the backcourt.
The major question in this series is whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers will wake up and not take the Pacers lightly. The Pacers play hard and they have a great home court advantage. Winning in the playoffs at Indiana has always been a tall order and with the Cavaliers going into the playoffs like they are, it doesn't look like it will be easy for the Cavaliers to get a road win in this series. The Pacers play with a lot of confidence at home and their fans really get behind them. If the Pacers find a way to steal a game in Cleveland, the Cavaliers will be in a lot of trouble.
In terms of predicting an outcome for this series, I got the Cavaliers in six games. I think this series could absolutely go seven games given the history between these two teams and the presence of Paul George. Don't let their record fool you: The Pacers are a tough team and they will not go quietly into the night. What makes me think this series ends in six games and not seven is the simple fact that the Cavaliers have their eyes on a much bigger prize. They are trying to stay as fresh as possible for the Eastern Conference Finals and they don't want to have to play in a Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs.
My personal prediction is going into Game 6 in Indiana, the Cavaliers will be up 3-2 and LeBron James will put the hammer on the Pacers to close out the series in six games. The Pacers will play the Cavaliers tough, but as soon as they start to look like a team that could win the series, LeBron James will put them away and get his team into the second round of the playoffs.
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