Indiana Pacers Ability To Be Themselves Will Define Series Vs Cleveland Cavaliers
INDIANAPOLIS – The top offense in the 2025 NBA playoffs so far belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The second best offense in the postseason has been the Indiana Pacers. Sunday night, the two teams will begin a best-of-seven set that is fascinating thanks to the two teams often using similar methods to win – score often, then get enough stops to come out on top.
In the regular season, that led to the Pacers having the ninth-best offense and 14th best defense. Cleveland, meanwhile, finished first and eighth in those categories, respectively. Indiana’s incredibly slow start makes their net rating(s) somewhat misleading, but the Cavaliers numbers accurately show what they are – a terrific team that is hard to stop.
The Pacers will do everything they can to topple them in round two, and the story of the series may be the specific way they try to earn four wins. Will the blue and gold opt for defensive-focused lineups and try to slow down the Cavs? Or will they opt to put their best offensive groups and the floor and hope to outscore the East’s top seed? Both strategies have merit, and Indiana is confident despite the challenge ahead of them.
“They’re the number one team. Offensively, defensively, they do a good job. They have big bodies, they have really good guards, and they have a good bench,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said of the upcoming series against the Cavaliers. “They’re definitely a complete team. So it’s definitely a challenge.”
What makes the Cavaliers a tough test for the Pacers?
Cleveland makes everything look simple. Their top backcourt stars, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, were both top 45 in scoring this season. They each ranked in the top 38 in assists per game. Both of them can get into the paint, hit jump shots, and keep the ball moving. They are an additive pair, especially on offense, and keep Cleveland humming.
In the frontcourt, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen form one of the best defensive duos in the league. Mobley just won Defensive Player Of The Year while Allen is a great rebounder (9.7 per game) and rim protector. They anchor a top-1o defense while combining to score 32 points per game and complement both Mitchell and Garland well.
Those four players form a terrific base of an elite team. Add in excellent role players – some of whom Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has gushed about this week – like De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill, and Ty Jerome, and an elite squad is formed. That’s what the Cavs are – they won 64 games and are the top seed in the East for a reason.
