While the Indiana Pacers and their fans should have plenty of reasons to be confident against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the reality is that the Cavs are the one seed for a reason, and, on paper at least, are a significantly better team.

In the first round, the Pacers dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks, who boasted the best player in the series. However, the Cavs not only have the best player in the series in Donovan Mitchell, but they also boast just as much (if not more) depth than Indiana.

Between Mitchell and Darius Garland, the Pacers’ backcourt of Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton will have their hands full, trying to minimize the point of attack.

“Dynamic duo. Both people really score the ball,” said Nembhard. “Garland can facilitate really well and present different matchups in terms of their tendencies, but a tough guard. At this point in the year, you’re not going to get an easy matchup. It’s tough.”

Haliburton is a less accomplished defender than Nembhard, and he aims to stop second-chance points. Between Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, Cleveland has two of the better rebounders in the league, and Haliburton wants the Cavs to only get one look at the basket per possession.

“I think we understand the biggest point of this series is we’re going to have to be able to rebound,” added Haliburton. “These guys crash way harder than Milwaukee did in the last series, so we’re going to have to be prepared to match that energy for 48 minutes. They do everything at such a high level.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00PM EST, and the game will be broadcast on TNT, streaming on Max.

3 Indiana Pacers bold predictions vs. Cavs in 2025 NBA Playoffs

Here are some bold predictions for the Indiana Pacers as they’re set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

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.