The Cleveland Cavaliers are in an uphill battle as they hope to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole, which is basically a death sentence in the NBA.
Catch the game tomorrow at 7:00 AM, Manila time.
AWAY: Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)
Projected starting five:
- Darius Garland (doubtful) / Ty Jerome
- Donovan Mitchell
- DeAndre Hunter (questionable) / Max Strus
- Evan Mobley (questionable)
- Jarrett Allen
Challenges are piling up on the 64-win Cavaliers, the wire-to-wire top seed in the East all season. Not only are they trailing series 0-2, both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are also hurt too – both missed Game 2 and will likely sit out Game 3 as well. If that’s not enough, the next two games are in Indiana.
All-Star scorer Donovan Mitchell remains at the forefront of the undermanned squad, though he has to have better help this time. Mitchell dropped 48 points in Game 2 but ultimately meant nothing as they blew a seven-point lead in the 47 seconds to lose 120-119.
No one has to drop 40-plus points to win. Ty Jerome, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen would just need to be more assertive as a way to take attention off of Mitchell – each has been solid, they just have to turn it up further.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has plenty of experience in the postseason, including as an assistant for the 2021-22 champion Golden State Warriors. No one should be surprised if he figures something out.
HOME: Indiana Pacers (2-0)
Projected starting five:
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Andrew Nembhard
- Aaron Nesmith
- Pascal Siakam
- Myles Turner
With the Game 1 upset and epic Game 2 comeback, the fast-paced, offensively equipped Pacers are feeling good, while also feeding off the energy of a pumped up home crowd. They better hope they don’t get too excited, though.
The Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner trio should continue to be a headache, with Hali being a capable scorer, good shooter, and versatile facilitator, Siakam being a two-way forward (he’s due for a big game too), and Turner being a shotblocking artist that’s also deadly from deep. It’s one heck of a core. The best part is they are also surrounded by well-rounded talent that can all explode any given day, from Aaron Nesmith (20 PPG in the series), to Aaron Nesmith and TJ McConnell. Indy is sneakily the most dangerous team in the league.
Like Cleveland, the Pacers are also led by a brilliant coach in Rick Carlisle, who’s been an NBA head coach for over 20 seasons and has crafted top-rated defensive and offensive teams across different eras.
PICKS:
Spread: Cavaliers (-3.5)
Over/Under: Under (227.5)
