The Pacers wear you down

The Cavaliers are in an 0-2 hole

The Cavaliers were 64-18 this regular season and are 0-2 after two home games against the lower-ranked Pacers.

At halftime of the Pacers at Cavs Game 2 on Tuesday night, I texted an agent who was watching closely as he had clients in the game “this is like the Bucks Game 5 in Indy.”

My point was, the Bucks down 1-3 and no Dame played incredibly physical and intense basketball in the first half of that elimination game. They smoked the casual Pacers 30-13 after 12 minutes, but only led by two by halftime. If you follow the NBA playoffs then you know the Pacers managed to win in near-miracle fashion to close the series. Tyrese Haliburton was the hero, but the story was mostly around how the Bucks couldn’t maintain their level of intensity and effort against a team as willing to race, (and sub), as the Pacers do. Nine players played at least 11 minutes, compared to just seven for the Bucks, who played all five starters at least 44 minutes, while no Pacers player played more than 43.

With their backs against the wall after dropping Game 1, the Cavs pulled the same page from that Bucks playbook. In what was the most physical defense on the perimeter I’ve seen all season, Cleveland manhandled Indy’s entire roster, leading 32-15 after one quarter, and managed to stay up six points entering halftime.

Hence, that text message.

The Pacers have not had a complete game this postseason, I don’t believe. Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Haliburton have all had scintillating games, but never at the same time. Their bench play has been spotty, most of the time anyway. Yet here they are, 6-1 overall with three road wins and counting. Their starting five is plus-45 in 117 minutes, the best in the playoffs thus far. Their net rating of +18.5 is tops as well, and would have led all mainstay units in the regular season.

Nevertheless, they were being manhandled by the gritty home team.

How did they manage almost as improbable a win in Cleveland Tuesday night as that Game 5 effort last week?

This is incredible.

Pace. (This is a well-named team.) Pacers opponents wear down, and play poorly late in games. The Pacers fly around in transition and in the half court and it’s too much for opposing stars to keep up.

And the Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton.