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Key: Let's Get It On!
The old adage – ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown’ – definitely applies to the Cavaliers 2016-17 regular season. It hasn’t been an easy title defense, but the Wine and Gold emerged from the 82-game grind as healthy as they can be as the Conference’s 2nd seed – ready for a First Round showdown with the Pacers.
The last (and lone) time the Cavaliers faced the Pacers in the postseason, Kyrie Irving was in kindergarten – as Reggie Miller’s squad wiped out Shawn Kemp and Co. in four games.
Almost 20 years later, the Cavs open their Playoff run against a Central Division foe for the second straight season.
The Cavs – who went 3-1 against the Pacers this season – have won seven straight against Indy at home, including a 135-130 double-overtime thriller on April 2, and have won 11 consecutive playoff games against Eastern Conference opponents at The Q.
The Wine and Gold went for 130-points plus twice against the Pacers this season, averaging almost 16 three-pointers per.
Indiana’s sole victory came in the first meeting of the year, a 10-point win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse with LeBron James and J.R. Smith on the shelf.
Key: Clash of the Titans
The Cavaliers as a team might not have faced off against Indiana in a postseason setting, but their leader has plenty of Playoff history against the Pacers.
LeBron James is coming off another historic campaign, and although he’ll likely cede his spot in the MVP race, the King still made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points, 8.0 boards and 8.0 assists while shooting better than 54 percent from the floor for the season.
LeBron played in the final three meetings of the season between these two clubs – averaging 32.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists, shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor in those games.
Of course, the one that’s still fresh in fans’ memories is his massive 41-point triple-double on April 2 – going 16-for-29 from the floor, adding a game-high 16 boards, 11 assists, two steals and a block.
James’ effort spoiled an equally-herculean performance by Paul George, who led everyone with 43 points on 16-for-33 shooting, including 6-of-16 from deep to go with nine boards, nine assists, three steals and a block.
George, who comes into the postseason averaging 31.6 points per over his last nine regular season games, averaged 21.5 points through the first two games against Cleveland this year, but James held him to just 13 points on 4-for-19 shooting in Cleveland’s February 15 win in Indy.
Key: Long-Distance Love Affair
When the Pacers and Cavaliers last faced each other in the 1998 Playoffs, the Pacers averaged 88.8 points per game; the Cavaliers, 80.8. In four meetings, only the Pacers topped the century mark – a 106-77 win in Game 1.
It’s a new world in their second go-round, with the Cavaliers coming into the postseason as the highest-scoring team in the East, averaging 110.3 points per. This season, they again eclipsed the franchisee mark – drilling 1,067 triples while leading the Conference with a .385 mark from deep while averaging 13.0 threes per contest.
The Pacers weren’t far behind, finishing 4th in the NBA in three-point shooting at .376 – their best mark since the 2008-09 season.
The leader from long-range is former Cavalier, C.J. Miles, who finished 12th in the league with a career-best .413 mark. Of course, Miles was a major thorn in Cleveland’s side this season – shooting 56 percent from beyond the arc.
That’s nothing compared to the way Kyle Korver has brutalized the Pacers from long-distance this season – averaging 25.5 points, shooting .750 (18-of-24) from the floor and .824 (14-of-17) from long-range.
In four regular season contests against Indy this season, the Cavs have canned double-digit treys in each – including 18 each of the last two.
Key: Say Uncle!
This season, Kyrie Irving continued his superstar ascent – earning his fourth All-Star nod and putting together another prolific offense campaign.
This year, the former Blue Devil produced a career-high 60 20-point games, averaging 25.2 points on the year – good for 11th in the NBA.
Fully healthy for last year’s Playoff run, Irving tallied at least 20 points in 18 of Cleveland’s 21 postseason games. With the spotlight usually trained on the LeBron-Paul George matchup, Kyrie hasn’t got the attention in the series, but in four games this year he’s notched at least 20 points and seven assists in each – averaging 25.5 points, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals, shooting .966 (28-of-29) from the stripe.
Indiana’s new point guard is very familiar with the Wine and Gold in the postseason, with Jeff Teague having faced Cleveland with Atlanta over the last two years.
Indiana’s assist leader, Teague – who started all 82 games for the Hawks this year – has recorded 16 double-doubles, including three of his four games against Cleveland, averaging 18.5 points and 11.0 assists on the season.
Key: The Power of Love
Even though a left knee injury forced him to miss his fourth All-Star Game appearance, Kevin Love still had his best season in three years as a Cavalier.
He was the only player in the Eastern Conference to average at least 19.0 points and 10.0 boards this year, posted 27 20-point games, finished 8th in the NBA at 11.1 boards per contest and, maybe most importantly to the Cavaliers’ big picture, tallied a double-double in each of his last seven games – including a 20-point, 12-rebound effort in the April 2 double-OT win over Indy at The Q, going 4-for-4 for nine points in the second overtime period.
Three of Love’s 41 double-doubles on the season have come in his three appearances against Indiana – including a 27-point, 16-rebound outburst in a losing effort back in November.
Love will lock horns with nine-year vet Thaddeus Young in his first season with the Pacers. Young’s one of the craftiest and toughest defenders in the Conference and usually doesn’t post eye-popping numbers. But he closed the year strong, netting double-figures in eight of his last nine outings – including a 19-point, nine-rebound effort against Cleveland – averaging 14.6 points on .577 shooting over that span.