The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will light up on Monday night, when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their round two NBA Playoff series.
The Cavs ended the regular season as the number one seed in the East, while the Pacers finished fourth, and the winner of this series will face either the Celtics or Knicks in the conference final.
Match preview
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After an incredible regular season in which they finished as the top seed with 64 wins and set several new franchise records, the Cleveland Cavaliers made light work of the Miami Heat in the first round, sweeping the series 4-0.
While the Heat were not at their best this season, Cleveland's advancement carries even more weight when you consider it was just the second time Erik Spoelstra has been swept in his entire coaching career - a rare feat that speaks volumes about what the Cavs are all about this season.
Kenny Atkinson's side won their two home games against the Heat 121-100 and 121-112, respectively, meaning they have still only lost seven games at home this season, which is the second-best record behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Donovan Mitchell carried his excellent form into the postseason and led the charge with a strong first-round series, averaging 23.8 points, while Darius Garland made an early impact, putting up 24 points per game in the first two outings before a minor injury sidelined him for the Miami stretch.
While the Pacers won the regular-season series 3-1, you can strike a line through the last two games, which were played in the final week of the campaign, when the Cavaliers were resting the likes of Mitchell, Garland and Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley.
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Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers stumbled out of the gate this season, but they found their rhythm just in time, rediscovering the high-octane, free-flowing offence that made them so dynamic a year ago to clinch the fourth seed with a 50-32 record.
Heading into the Playoffs against Milwaukee, many had expected a close series, but the Pacers were a class above their opponents and steamrolled past the Bucks in a 4-1 series win, knocking them out of the postseason for the second straight year.
Indiana has been powered by the brilliance of Tyrese Haliburton, who notched double-doubles in four of five games with points and assists against the Bucks, while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner have been rock-solid, delivering crucial support on both ends of the floor.
While Cleveland's depth would be a major advantage against most Eastern Conference teams, that may not be the case against Rick Carlisle's Pacers, who are stacked at every position and finished with the NBA's sixth-best record post the All-Star break.
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Team News
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Darius Garland is still listed as day-to-day with a big toe sprain, and while Atkinson noted on Friday that the point guard has been moving well and shooting, he also mentioned that he has yet to progress to contact drills.
Atkinson also stated that Sam Merrill could remain in the starting lineup for Game 1 if Garland is unable to go, while highlighting Merrill's strong defence and off-ball creation as key reasons for his potential inclusion.
The Pacers have no new injury concerns coming into this series, with Isaiah Jackson being the only player currently sidelined after sustaining a torn right Achilles tendon against the Pelicans in early November.
If Garland starts, it will be interesting to see if Haliburton is assigned to guard him or if Carlisle makes a tactical decision to move the 25-year-old against Max Strus and pits Andrew Nembhard against the Cavs' PG.
Cleveland Cavaliers possible starting five:
Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, Strus, Allen
Indiana Pacers possible starting five:
Haliburton, Nembhard, Siakam, Nesmith, Turner
We say: Cleveland Cavlaiers to win by 5+ points
While there were a few doubts around whether the Cavaliers would be able to produce the type of performances we saw in the regular season in the Playoffs, their dominance in the first round certainly put those concerns to bed.
The Pacers got past the Bucks convincingly, but also showed a few weaknesses in that series, and we feel the Cavs' incredible defence, led by Mobley and Allen, will be the difference in this match.
Devesh Jaganath
