On Tuesday, 05/06, the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) will host the Indiana Pacers (1-0) in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. In Game 1, the Pacers massively flipped the script and beat the series favorites by 9 points (121-112). Will the Cavs heed the wake-up call, or will the Pacers showcase their depth again? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
The Pacers show their mettle and take the initiative
Game 1 exposed some of the Cavaliers’ lingering issues throughout the season. They conceded 120+ points in many games against elite offenses, and the Pacers took advantage of that. They jumped to a 36-25 lead in the first quarter.
The Cavs closed the gap to six points by the end of the half. The home team performed even better in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 2 points. However, Indiana unlocked their 2024 playoffs form and went big in the clutch.
The Cavs even took a 1-point lead with around 7 minutes in the last quarter. But that was it. The rest of the game was all Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton’s three-pointer opened the floodgates for a 13-5 run that proved to be decisive.
Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard were huge factors, combining for 45 points(Nembhard-23). Meanwhile, the rest of the starters were in the 13-17 range, which was a huge bonus. Benedict Mathurin had 11 precious points off the bench.
The Cavs were without their lead guard Darius Garland, which was a huge loss for them. Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points. However, starters Sam Merrill and Max Strus combined for merely 13.
Evan Mobley was huge with 20 points, while Ty Jerome also contributed with 20. But there is no doubt that the team missed Garland in the shootout situation.
The Pacers committed 16 turnovers compared to 7, but they made 19 triples compared to just 9 by the Cavs. This was a huge difference from their regular output of 15+ treys per game.
Pacers Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Tyrese Haliburton | SG: Andrew Nembhard | SF: Aaron Nesmith | PF: Pascal Siakam | C: Myles Turner
Key bench players: SG: Benedict Mathurin, PG: TJ McConnell, SF: Jarace Walker, PF: Obi Toppin
Injuries/Updates: Isaiah Jackson is OUT for the game.
Cavaliers Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Darius Garland | SG: Donovan Mitchell | SF: Max Strus | PF: Evan Mobley | C: Jarrett Allen
Key bench players: SG: Ty Jerome, SF: DeAndre Hunter, SF: Sam Merrill.
Injuries/Updates: Darius Garland is QUESTIONABLE.
The first game was expectedly to be high-scoring. The bookmakers predicted identical odds around 229-230 points, which was not far off the total of 233. The Cavs’ 112 was around 8 points below the expected mark, whereas the Pacers were 7-9 points over it. Thus, the story was reversed.
The series’ template has been set; maybe the story can trade places, but the scoring can be in similar realms. The bookmakers have rolled out the copy-paste odds around the total from the last game. I chose “Over” In Game 1, but now I will go for “under”, expecting the score to fall around 225.
Donovan Mitchell to score Over 26.5 points: The Cavaliers ace was a volume scorer in Game 1, attempting 30 shots for 33 points. He will rue making just 1 out of 11 shots, but he had to take more shots without their best three-point shooter, Darius Garland. I expect him to be more efficient and cross the 27-point mark.
Tyrese Haliburton to be held Under 19.5 points: The Pacers’ Floor Manager scored 23 in the last game, and has hit the “Over” on points during three of the five games. I see the balance restored here, and Haliburton scoring around 15-18 points.
Evan Mobley to score over 17.5 points: The Cavs forward had 20 points in Game 1, and he has eclipsed the 18-point mark in three of the last four games. I believe he will keep his scoring train going here.
Main pick: Evan Mobley O 17.5 points for -110 at BetMGM
The Cavs must have been concerned after the Game 1 loss. They sorely missed Garland, who provided them with the required ammo from deep range throughout the season Mitchell has had many poor shooting outings from deep, which Garland has helped cover.
Apart from that, they must be looking deeply at their defensive schemes, which couldn’t contain any major offensive players in the previous game.
I see humungous defensive adjustments from them in Game 2 and do believe they will win with a bang. The spread like last game is -8.5 in favor of Cavs, I expect them to cover it.
Betting Lines(BetMGM):
Safe Spread Pick: Pacers +7.5 for +105 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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