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The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t have asked for a more emphatic start to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, steamrolling the Miami Heat in a sweep so dominant it made history. With a +122 scoring differential, the largest ever in a postseason series, Cleveland looked every bit the Eastern Conference’s top seed. But the second round brings a very different beast in the Indiana Pacers, a team built for pace, precision, and postseason chaos. To survive and advance, the Cavs will need more than momentum. They’ll need their three biggest X-factors to deliver under fire.
1. The Cavs need Evan Mobley to continue evolving
Evan Mobley entered the postseason with sky-high expectations. Game 1 against the Heat made many wonder if he could live up to them. But after that sluggish start, he surged back with authority, averaging 18.6 points and shooting 50% from deep over the final three games. His aggressive rim attacks, defensive switchability, and surprising floor spacing reminded everyone why he was at the heart of Cleveland’s regular-season leap.
But the Pacers aren’t the Heat. Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner form a far more dynamic and challenging frontcourt tandem, capable of pulling Mobley out of the paint or challenging him inside with length and physicality. This matchup will test not just Mobley’s versatility but his ability to impact both ends of the floor over extended minutes, especially when the Cavs downsize and use him as the lone big.
That might be exactly what the series demands. Against Indiana’s relentless pace and floor spacing, Mobley’s ability to slide defensively, switch pick-and-rolls, and still provide interior protection could be the key to slowing the Pacers’ high-octane attack. If Mobley plays like the two-way star Cleveland believes he can be, the Cavs may be able to impose their will, not just react to Indiana’s tempo.
2. Donovan Mitchell has to be the Cavs' biggest star
If Evan Mobley is the rising star, Donovan Mitchell remains the gravitational force. When the Cavs need a burst, a bailout, or a moment to break the opponent’s will, it’s Mitchell whom they turn to, and for good reason. He set the tone in Cleveland’s first-round demolition, particularly in a Game 4 first-quarter onslaught that saw the Cavs jump out to a 43-14 lead. That’s Mitchell at his apex: explosive, ruthless, and untouchable when locked in.
What makes this series different is that Mitchell won’t be asked to do it all. Darius Garland is healthy again, Jarrett Allen is anchoring the interior, and the bench, headlined by Ty Jerome, has proven more than capable of holding its own. But when the margins shrink and possessions turn to isolation battles, Mitchell will have to be the best player on the floor. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton is no slouch. He orchestrated the Pacers’ victory over the Bucks in dramatic fashion and will push the Cavs on every possession.
Mitchell’s shot selection, defensive energy, and leadership will be under the microscope. He’s no longer just Cleveland’s scoring engine, he’s the tone-setter. And if he can take control of crunch time, especially in games that get wild late, the Cavs will have the ultimate trump card in a series that could hinge on just a few clutch plays.
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3. Depth with deliver and decide who wins and loses
The Cavs’ starting five has earned headlines, but it’s the depth that might swing this series. Indiana plays fast, runs deep, and forces opponents into uncomfortable rotations. That means Ty Jerome, De’Andre Hunter, Dean Wade, and the rest of Cleveland’s supporting cast must not only hold the line. They must win their minutes.
Jerome has become the postseason revelation. After a breakout Game 1 against Miami, he continued to hit timely shots and bend defenses with his aggressive playmaking. His presence also gave players like Hunter clean looks and confidence. Together, they helped Cleveland’s bench nearly outscore Miami’s entire team in Game 4 (73-83).
This wasn’t a fluke. Cleveland’s reserves have real firepower and two-way capability. Sam Merrill has shown he can knock down threes under pressure. Dean Wade’s length and defensive instincts offer lineup flexibility that Atkinson will likely exploit, especially if Jarrett Allen is schemed off the floor by Indiana’s spacing. Don’t be surprised if the Cavs toggle between big and small lineups with rhythm-based substitutions as early as the second quarter of Game 1.
Rick Carlisle’s Pacers will try to turn this into a track meet. The Cavs have to counter with a bench that can score in bunches and sustain defensive intensity. If they can win the non-Haliburton minutes, the math swings heavily in Cleveland’s favor.
Final thoughts on this Eastern Conference Playoff battle
This series won’t be won by brute force. It’ll be decided in the margins. The Cavs were barely tested by Miami. That won’t be the case here. Indiana can match Cleveland’s firepower. The Pacers can and will push the pace to uncomfortable extremes. But if the Cavs lean on their X-Factors, they can set the tone for this series. If they do that, Cleveland won’t just survive this series. They’ll win it.
