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The Indiana Pacers have once again made it to the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season. Similar to last year, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks to get here, and now they are going up against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers started the season off slow, but toward the end of the year, they began to pick things up and are getting back to what made them such a special team last season.
In their series against the Bucks, they were able to control the game on the offensive side of the ball, and they almost got whatever they wanted. On defense, it felt like the goal was to let Giannis Antetokounmpo take over and let everyone else on the team beat them, and it worked in their favor.
In this series, they'll be going up against a Cavs team that dominated on both sides of the ball this season and swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. It will be a tough task for the Pacers, but they have a chance to once again prove the doubters wrong and advance to the next round.
Here are some bold predictions for the Pacers as they're set to face the Cavs.
Tyrese Haliburton averages 23 and 12 for the series
Haliburton had an up-and-down series against the Bucks, but when his team needed him the most, he delivered. He's the main reason why the Pacers were able to make a miraculous comeback in overtime during Game 5 to win the game, and that's the player that the Pacers are going to need against the Cavs. It's obvious that Haliburton isn't at the level that he was at last season, but he seemed to have found a new sense of confidence in this past series.
If the Pacers want to make this a competitive series, Haliburton has to step up like he did last season in the playoffs before he got hurt. That means playing with the confidence and swagger that he has, knocking down big shots, getting to the rim, and making plays for others. There's no doubt that he will get his teammates involved, but he also has to get himself going to make an impact.
Pacers contain the Cavs' backcourt
The Cavs have one of the more dangerous backcourts in the league with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and they've been amazing all season. Garland has been dealing with a toe injury that led him to miss two games of their series against the Heat, but they were still able to win those games. It's uncertain when Garland will make his debut in this series and if he'll be 100%, but the Pacers should definitely keep an eye on that development.
If Garland isn't at his best, that means Mitchell will have to carry a heavy load in the backcourt, but the Pacers have a few players who can disrupt his game and make it hard on him. This is not to say that the Pacers will completely shut down Garland and Mitchell, but they can keep them in check and make sure that they don't go off.
Pacers extend the series to seven games
Many people may think that the Cavs will make light work of the Pacers, but if they're able to do the first two things on this list, then there's a good chance they can make this series a long one. The Pacers have surprised the league the past two seasons, and it wouldn't be them if they fell short of doing so again. They have an offense that can keep up with the Cavs, and they have a solid defensive philosophy that should help them match up well against them. If the Pacers can push the series to seven games, anything can happen.
