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After a two-day break the Cavs take a short hop to Indianapolis for their third of four games against the 25-29 Pacers. The home team has won each of the previous two games with the Cavs prevailing 118-112 in Cleveland and the Pacers winning 135-126 in Indy on Dec. 29. That was the highest scoring game of the season against the Cavaliers, who lead the NBA in scoring defense at 107 points per game.
In the Cavs loss on Dec. 29 they outscored the Pacers 72-48 in the paint but still lost due to an incredible exhibition of 3-point shooting. The Pacers hit 19 of 31 from deep as their starting guards, Haliburton and Hield, combined to go 11-for-14. The Cavs led after three quarters but the Pacers dominated the 4th by 35-18. The Cavaliers did not have Wade or Rubio that game.
The first two games have come down to the 3-point shot. In the Cavs’ win they hit 14 of them against 11 for Indy, a 9-point advantage in a 6-point win. The Pacers turned the tables and outscored the Cavs by 21 from deep in the 9-point win in Indy.
The Pacers have been struggling lately, losing 11 of their last 13. On the season they are 17-11 at home while the Cavs are 10-16 on the road. This has been perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Cavs’ season - their inability to play .500 on the road, or even close. It’s time they start winning on the road in games like this - against a struggling team that can’t match the Cavs’ overall talent.
The Pacers are led by first time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who averages 20 points and 10 assists on 48% overall and 40% on 3’s. They feature very balanced scoring; Myles Turner averages 17.5 points, Buddy Hield averages 17.4, and rookie Bennedict Mathurin averages 17.6 off the bench. Backup shooting guard Aaron Nesmith is averaging 18 points in two games against the Cavs on 72.2% overall and 50% on 3’s. He normally averages 9.9 ppg but he’s lit up the Cavs this year.
As a team the Pacers don’t shoot all that well, ranking 19th in effective field goal percentage and 24th in points per possession, but they rank 11th in scoring due to playing at a fast pace. They lead the NBA in fast break points per game and are 6th in possessions per game. They push the ball and look for early scoring opportunities. They are 6th in the NBA in made 3-pointers at 14 per game.
Against a team with Allen and Mobley inside I expect the Pacers will try even harder to push the pace and shoot 3’s early in the clock before the Cavs can set up their half-court defense. Getting back on D after a missed shot, a blocked shot, or a turnover will be crucial and they need to hustle back after made shots as well. The Cavs can’t leave shooters unattended in the corners in transition while they cluster around the ball.
Defensively it’s a mixed bag. The Pacers only rank 25th in opponents’ points per game, but they are 2nd in block percentage and 8th in steals. All those blocks and steals create fast break opportunities, so their defense allows a lot of points but also creates a lot. In two games the Cavs have scored 118 and 126 against them. The key is to exploit their vulnerabilities on defense without getting burned for easy transition buckets off turnovers and missed shots.
The Pacers are second worst in defensive rebound percentage. My guess is their bigs love to go for blocked shots which opens the door for offensive rebounds when they don’t get the swat. The key for the Cavs is to avoid getting shots blocked on layups and floaters, even if it means missing the shot. Allen and Mobley combined for 22 offensive rebounds in the two previous games between these teams.
The Pacers excel at defending the rim (ranking 3rd) but suck at defending the 3-point shot (ranking 27th). The game the Cavs won they hit 14 from deep. In order to win this one they will need to hit some 3’s and get some offensive rebounds.
In the first two games combined the Pacers had 12 blocked shots, 6 by Turner and 4 by Isaiah Jackson, who has a line of 10/6/3 in 18 minutes off the bench against Cleveland. Jackson, Nesmith, and Mathurin have combined to average 51 points off the bench in the two games against the Cavs. Our bench needs to defend these guys better.
The key to the Cavs’ win in Cleveland was holding the Pacers to 31% on 3’s while hitting 45% of ours.
The Pacers are below average in committing turnovers and allowing fast break points (25th). The Pacers are very vulnerable to putbacks of missed shots, 3-point shots, and in transition off turnovers. It’s tougher to score in the half-court offense because of the Pacers’ excellent interior defense, so the Cavs should push the pace and try to get scoring opportunities in transition before Turner and Jackson can get down the floor. The Pacers will be trying to do the same thing so this could actually be an uptempo, high scoring game like the 136-126 affair the last time the Cavs were in town.
Or JBB could insist we not play at their pace this time and try to make it a half-court game.
The Pacers squeaked by Sacramento at home Thursday night 107-104. The Kings were without leading scorer De’Aaron Fox (24 ppg). It came down to a missed Kings 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Pacers have been remarkably healthy all year - they have 10 players who have suited up for 40 or more of their 54 games, but they are still only 25-29. But they are tough at home (17-11) and had a day off after a home game, so they will be formidable. The key for the Cavs is not letting the Pacers get hot from deep. Normally the Cavs win easily when they score 126 points, but when the opponent hits 19 of 31 from deep even 126 may not be enough (and it wasn’t last time).
It’s all about switching on the perimeter, contesting every 3-point shot, and forcing the Pacers off the 3-point line whenever possible. Haliburton and Hield will launch a 3 off the dribble when they get within spitting distance of the line if they’re open, and on a good night they will make them. The Cavs need to pick both of them up as soon as they cross the half court line and also not let them come around screens with an open look.
Offensively the Cavs need to push the pace, score in transition, hit their open 3’s, and avoid getting blocked on floaters and layups so Mobley and Allen can clean up on the offensive glass.
Caris LeVert is questionable with a hamstring but I'm sure he would love to play against his former teammates if possible. If not, Cedi Osman probably gets those minutes and he's coming off a 21-point, +20 game against Memphis. We need more of that from him.
With Rubio back and playing well and Wade also back it’s time for the Cavs to start beating sub-.500 teams on the road, especially when the opponent has lost 11 of 13. Tonight would be a good time to start.
In the Cavs loss on Dec. 29 they outscored the Pacers 72-48 in the paint but still lost due to an incredible exhibition of 3-point shooting. The Pacers hit 19 of 31 from deep as their starting guards, Haliburton and Hield, combined to go 11-for-14. The Cavs led after three quarters but the Pacers dominated the 4th by 35-18. The Cavaliers did not have Wade or Rubio that game.
The first two games have come down to the 3-point shot. In the Cavs’ win they hit 14 of them against 11 for Indy, a 9-point advantage in a 6-point win. The Pacers turned the tables and outscored the Cavs by 21 from deep in the 9-point win in Indy.
The Pacers have been struggling lately, losing 11 of their last 13. On the season they are 17-11 at home while the Cavs are 10-16 on the road. This has been perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Cavs’ season - their inability to play .500 on the road, or even close. It’s time they start winning on the road in games like this - against a struggling team that can’t match the Cavs’ overall talent.
The Pacers are led by first time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who averages 20 points and 10 assists on 48% overall and 40% on 3’s. They feature very balanced scoring; Myles Turner averages 17.5 points, Buddy Hield averages 17.4, and rookie Bennedict Mathurin averages 17.6 off the bench. Backup shooting guard Aaron Nesmith is averaging 18 points in two games against the Cavs on 72.2% overall and 50% on 3’s. He normally averages 9.9 ppg but he’s lit up the Cavs this year.
As a team the Pacers don’t shoot all that well, ranking 19th in effective field goal percentage and 24th in points per possession, but they rank 11th in scoring due to playing at a fast pace. They lead the NBA in fast break points per game and are 6th in possessions per game. They push the ball and look for early scoring opportunities. They are 6th in the NBA in made 3-pointers at 14 per game.
Against a team with Allen and Mobley inside I expect the Pacers will try even harder to push the pace and shoot 3’s early in the clock before the Cavs can set up their half-court defense. Getting back on D after a missed shot, a blocked shot, or a turnover will be crucial and they need to hustle back after made shots as well. The Cavs can’t leave shooters unattended in the corners in transition while they cluster around the ball.
Defensively it’s a mixed bag. The Pacers only rank 25th in opponents’ points per game, but they are 2nd in block percentage and 8th in steals. All those blocks and steals create fast break opportunities, so their defense allows a lot of points but also creates a lot. In two games the Cavs have scored 118 and 126 against them. The key is to exploit their vulnerabilities on defense without getting burned for easy transition buckets off turnovers and missed shots.
The Pacers are second worst in defensive rebound percentage. My guess is their bigs love to go for blocked shots which opens the door for offensive rebounds when they don’t get the swat. The key for the Cavs is to avoid getting shots blocked on layups and floaters, even if it means missing the shot. Allen and Mobley combined for 22 offensive rebounds in the two previous games between these teams.
The Pacers excel at defending the rim (ranking 3rd) but suck at defending the 3-point shot (ranking 27th). The game the Cavs won they hit 14 from deep. In order to win this one they will need to hit some 3’s and get some offensive rebounds.
In the first two games combined the Pacers had 12 blocked shots, 6 by Turner and 4 by Isaiah Jackson, who has a line of 10/6/3 in 18 minutes off the bench against Cleveland. Jackson, Nesmith, and Mathurin have combined to average 51 points off the bench in the two games against the Cavs. Our bench needs to defend these guys better.
The key to the Cavs’ win in Cleveland was holding the Pacers to 31% on 3’s while hitting 45% of ours.
The Pacers are below average in committing turnovers and allowing fast break points (25th). The Pacers are very vulnerable to putbacks of missed shots, 3-point shots, and in transition off turnovers. It’s tougher to score in the half-court offense because of the Pacers’ excellent interior defense, so the Cavs should push the pace and try to get scoring opportunities in transition before Turner and Jackson can get down the floor. The Pacers will be trying to do the same thing so this could actually be an uptempo, high scoring game like the 136-126 affair the last time the Cavs were in town.
Or JBB could insist we not play at their pace this time and try to make it a half-court game.
The Pacers squeaked by Sacramento at home Thursday night 107-104. The Kings were without leading scorer De’Aaron Fox (24 ppg). It came down to a missed Kings 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Pacers have been remarkably healthy all year - they have 10 players who have suited up for 40 or more of their 54 games, but they are still only 25-29. But they are tough at home (17-11) and had a day off after a home game, so they will be formidable. The key for the Cavs is not letting the Pacers get hot from deep. Normally the Cavs win easily when they score 126 points, but when the opponent hits 19 of 31 from deep even 126 may not be enough (and it wasn’t last time).
It’s all about switching on the perimeter, contesting every 3-point shot, and forcing the Pacers off the 3-point line whenever possible. Haliburton and Hield will launch a 3 off the dribble when they get within spitting distance of the line if they’re open, and on a good night they will make them. The Cavs need to pick both of them up as soon as they cross the half court line and also not let them come around screens with an open look.
Offensively the Cavs need to push the pace, score in transition, hit their open 3’s, and avoid getting blocked on floaters and layups so Mobley and Allen can clean up on the offensive glass.
Caris LeVert is questionable with a hamstring but I'm sure he would love to play against his former teammates if possible. If not, Cedi Osman probably gets those minutes and he's coming off a 21-point, +20 game against Memphis. We need more of that from him.
With Rubio back and playing well and Wade also back it’s time for the Cavs to start beating sub-.500 teams on the road, especially when the opponent has lost 11 of 13. Tonight would be a good time to start.
