The Cleveland Cavaliers, known for their high-scoring “Cavalanche” during a regular season where they secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, saw their promising run halted disappointingly in the second round of the NBA playoffs. They were eliminated in five games by the Indiana Pacers, an outcome that also meant little return on a peculiar investment by team owner Dan Gilbert.
Reports indicated that Dan Gilbert had spent over $500,000 to install fake snow machines at Rocket Arena. These machines were intended to activate during the team`s celebrated scoring bursts that earned them the “Cavalanche” nickname during the 2024-25 season. However, despite the team`s offensive prowess, the snow machines were rarely used; they were reportedly triggered only once after the first-round sweep of the Miami Heat before the season ended against the Pacers.
The team`s elimination occurred despite Gilbert`s investment and his public confidence, shared in a message to fans, that the team was capable of a 3-1 series comeback, akin to their famous 2016 championship run. He maintained an upbeat tone in his message, emphasizing the team`s solid position for future success and contention.
This marks the second straight year the Cavaliers have exited the playoffs in the second round, following a regular season where they were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and ranked highly in offensive categories, including points per game and offensive rating.
Jasper Hawthorne