Fresh off a dominant victory over the Miami Heat in the first round, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series this Sunday. Cleveland established an NBA record for scoring margin in a playoff series, defeating Miami by a staggering 122 total points.
The Pacers finished the season with a 50-32 record, holding a 21-21 away record and a 29-22 mark against fellow Eastern Conference teams. The Cavaliers concluded their regular season with a 64-18 record, boasting an impressive 36-7 record at home and a 41-11 record within the Eastern Conference.
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (toe) participated fully in Friday`s practice but remains questionable for Sunday`s game against Indiana.
Game 1 is scheduled for a 6 p.m. ET tip-off at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. During the regular season, Indiana held the edge, winning three out of the four contests between the two teams.
SportsLine`s Matt Severance, an experienced handicapper, has a strong record on NBA money line picks, going 153-86-1 on his last 240 selections, resulting in significant profit. He has also been particularly successful when picking Cavaliers games, with a 50-12 record in his last 62 picks involving Cleveland.
Why the Cavaliers can perform well
Donovan Mitchell has been a key scoring leader for the Cavaliers this postseason. Across four games, he`s averaged 23.8 points, four assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 30.8 minutes per contest. In their 121-112 win in Game 2 against the Heat, he delivered 30 points, alongside six assists and six rebounds.
Evan Mobley was one of seven Cavaliers players who averaged double-digit scoring during the opening round. He has also seen success when playing the Pacers this season. In two prior matchups against Indiana, he averaged 19 points, 12.5 rebounds, one assist, and one block over 31.5 minutes. Through four playoff starts, he is averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 30.5 minutes.
Why the Pacers can perform well
Pascal Siakam stands out as one of Indiana`s main scoring threats. In their five-game first-round series win against the Milwaukee Bucks, he averaged 19.8 points, six rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals across 33.8 minutes. In a 117-101 Game 3 loss to the Bucks on April 25, he posted 28 points, adding five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Across three games against the Cavaliers during the regular season, Siakam averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, 2.7 assists, and one block in 32.7 minutes.
Tyrese Haliburton recorded four double-doubles in the five games against Milwaukee in the first round. In Game 4, he tallied 17 points, along with 15 assists and eight rebounds in a 129-103 victory on April 27. He followed up with 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three blocks, and three steals in a 119-118 overtime win over the Bucks in Game 5. In five playoff appearances, Haliburton is averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds in 35.4 minutes.
How to approach Cavaliers vs. Pacers
Expert Matt Severance has analyzed the Pacers vs. Cavaliers matchup and identified a key factor impacting the potential outcome.
Jasper Hawthorne