The Indiana Pacers entered their second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers as underdogs, and even after Indiana’s Game 1 win, Cleveland remains the favorite to advance.
By many fans and analysts, the Pacers weren’t given much of a chance going into the series, but Indiana clearly isn’t going down without a fight and took a major step toward pulling off a series upset with its victory on Sunday.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke after the Game 1 victory and said that his team needs to use the doubters as motivation.
“We’ve got to stay hungry,” Carlisle said. “I haven’t heard many people that gave us a chance in this series. We got to use that at some level of motivation. We know what we’re capable of. Game 2 will be exceptionally hard with them dropping Game 1.”
It’s no surprise that the Cavs were seen as the clear favorites to win the series going in, as they won 64 games during the regular season and were the top team in the Eastern Conference. Indiana’s regular season was nothing to sneeze at, as the team won 50 games of its own, but Cleveland was the squad that everyone was chasing during the 82-game marathon.
In Game 1 of the series on Sunday, the Pacers beat the Cavs by nine on the road, shifting home-court advantage to Indiana’s favor for the time being. Cleveland will now need to win at least one game in Indiana in order to win the series.
Game 2 will take place in Cleveland, and it will be a pivotal matchup given the Game 1 outcome. A Pacers win in Game 2 would give them a serious lead with the series shifting back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is something the Cavs certainly want to avoid at all costs. Carlisle appears to be aware of that, with him noting that Game 2 will be “exceptionally hard” for Indiana.
If the Pacers can shock the Cavs in the second round and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana may start to gain a reputation as a team that can never be dismissed in the playoffs. Last season, the Pacers were just the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but that didn’t stop them from making a run to the conference finals.
The Cavs will hope to have star guard Darius Garland back in Game 2, as he missed Game 1 with a toe injury. His return would give the squad a nice boost on the offensive end of the floor.
