After dominating the Eastern Conference during the regular season, the Cavaliers absolutely obliterated the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. They will face a much, much tougher test in the Pacers, who also looked impressive in taking the inury-riddled Bucks down in five games.
At first glance, it might seem like the Cavs will sweep the Pacers too, but there's more to this matchup than it seems.
Indiana has played Cleveland very well throughout the regular season. They've also been one of the hottest teams in the league to close out their year. Tyrese Haliburton has been much better after a rough start to the season, and they've gotten some key guys back in their lineup.
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The Cavs were a dominant regular season team and will be heavy favorites against Indy. That said, expect the Pacers to give Donovan Mitchell a run for his money. This won't be a cakewalk.
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Cavs vs. Pacers prediction
The Pacers are going to be a popular upset pick for a couple of different reasons.
The Cavs haven't really been tested in the playoffs, and disappointing exits during the past two seasons are still on some people's minds.
On the other hand, the Pacers looked like a playoff riser last year in making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Rick Carlisle is a proven championship coach, whereas Kenny Atkinson doesn't have the same high-level success in the playoffs.
The Pacers also match up well against the Cavs. Their fast style of play presents issues for a very good Cleveland defense. Andrew Nembhard is a very good defensive guard who should give Darius Garland problems, and the Pacers have the shooting bigs that can pull the Cavs big men out of the paint.
While there is some truth to those potential weaknesses, the Cavs just won 64 games in the regular season and set a record with their 122-point scoring margin in a sweep. They're an unbelievable team that seems destined to meet the Celtics in the Conference Finals.
Haliburton and Pascal Siakam can keep pace with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. The Pacers don't have a third or fourth guy that matches the caliber of Garland or Jarrett Allen, and the amount of shooting that the Cavs can bring off the bench can lead to their signature Cavalanche runs, which have buried other teams. They are going to overwhelm Indiana.
Prediction: Cavs in 6
MORE: 13 reasons why Tyrese Haliburton is not, in fact, overrated
Cavs vs. Pacers betting odds
DraftKings has the Cavaliers listed as -425 favorites over the Pacers in the second-round series. Indiana is +320 to advance past Cleveland, per DraftKings.
Cavs vs. Pacers regular season series
The Pacers were surprisingly feisty in their four games against the Cavs this season, taking down three of them.
- Jan. 12, 2025: Pacers 108, Cavs 93
- Jan. 14, 2025 Cavs 127, Pacers 117
- April 10, 2025: Pacers 114, Cavs 112
- April 13, 2025: Pacers 126, Cavs 118 (2OT)
During their first matchup, the Pacers snapped a 12-game Cavs winning streak with Tyrese Haliburton available for only one half of the game. He was out for the rematch two days later, which the Cavs won.
Not too much can be taken from the last two games. The Cavs had already clinched the No. 1 seed and kept their starters out of both contests. The Pacers rested their starters as well during the final matchup of the season.
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Cavs vs. Pacers key storylines
Will Indiana's pace bother Cleveland?
The Cavs destroyed most teams during the regular season. The ones that they had trouble with weren't necessarily the best ones. They were the fastest.
Cleveland's only losing records in the East came against the Pacers and the Hawks. Both teams try to run the ball as much as possible, which can present issues when the Cavs play both of their big men together.
The Pacers used their transition attack and depth to get all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They are still one of the faster teams in the league. They will test Cleveland's transition defense, which ranked No. 15 in the league.
Which team gets better bench production
Both of these teams have very good bench players that are capable of swinging games.
For the Pacers, T.J. McConnell has long been one of the best backup point guards in the league. He puts constant pressure on the basket and is a pest defensively. Jarace Walker has developed into a good stretch big man. Ben Sheppard is a gunner off the bench, and Obi Toppin is an athletic scorer.
The Cavs have an even stronger group. Ty Jerome has been the best bench player of the playoffs. Dean Wade has provided great defense. De'Andre Hunter is a good 3-and-D wing, and Sam Merrill has filled in capably while Darius Garland nurses a sore toe.
There are a ton of stars in this series. They will do their thing. A handful of these games are going to be won by huge bench performances from some of the names above.
How does Tyrese Haliburton hold up defensively?
The Cavs were absolutely merciless in attacking Tyler Herro during their first-round series. They involved him in every screening action that they could, trying to get him switched onto their elite scorers.
They will likely do the same thing against Haliburton, who isn't a good on-ball defender. The Pacers have seen this gameplan before and have tricks in their bag to protect him. They will likely have him show-and-recover, getting him to jump out onto the ball before scrambling back to his assignment. Can he do that effectively 20 or 30 times per game?
The Pacers have improved their defense dramatically from last season, but Haliburton remains the weakest link.
Cavs vs. Pacers schedule
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| TBD | Game 1 at Cavs | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 2 at Cavs | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 3 at Pacers | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 4 at Pacers | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 5 at Cavs* | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 6 at Pacers* | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | Game 7 at Cavs* | TBD | TBD |
* If necessary