For the second year in a row, the Indiana Pacers are going to dance in the Eastern Conference finals. That's after Tyrese Haliburton and company finished their job in the second round, dismantling the No. 1 seed in the East Cleveland Cavaliers in only five games. The Pacers sent the Cavaliers to an early vacation with a masterful 114-105 victory Tuesday night on the road at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Indiana's celebration over its series win against the Cavaliers continued in the locker room, where they were heard blasting a particular Jay-Z song, according to Tony East of The Next.

“Jay Z “On to the next one” blaring in the Pacers locker room,” East shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“On to the Next One,” was released in 2009 as part of Jay-Z's “The Blueprint 3” album — the same record that featured the hit “Empire State of Mind.”

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Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half of game five against the Indiana Pacers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the first half of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
Cavs’ promising season ends with a familiar collapse in Game 5 loss vs. Pacers

The Pacers can play all the songs they want after the incredible job they did against Cleveland, which also seemed too banged up to keep in step with Indiana. In Game 5, Indiana overcame a 12-point deficit at the end of the first quarter. Haliburton put up 31 points to lead his team, as he shot 10-for-15 from the field while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out eight assists to go along with a steal and a block in 36 minutes. Pascal Siakam also played a huge role, with 21 points, eight boards and five dimes in 40 minutes.

Indiana turned the heat up in the fourth quarter, where they shot 55.6 percent from the field. Missed free throws by the Cavaliers also hurt them, as they went 6-for-12 from the foul line in the final 12 minutes of the contest — and ultimately of their season.

With the Pacers booking a seat in the conference finals, all they can do at the moment is wait for the other remaining second-round series between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics to finish. The Celtics ousted Indiana in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but are on the verge of getting eliminated by the Knicks, who are just a win away from joining the Pacers in the next round. Interestingly enough, the Pacers and the Knicks also met in the playoffs in 2024, with Indiana outlasting New York in seven games in the second round.