The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to 64 wins during the regular season. On Sunday night, they found out this isn’t the regular season anymore.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals saw the Indiana Pacers throw the first decisive punch of the series, shooting lights out from three-point range to take down the Cavs 121-112.
Throughout most of the 2024-25 campaign, Cleveland has dictated the terms of play, often leaving teams scrambling for answers as they tried to overcome a smothering offense and an immensely deep rotation.
Sunday was very much the opposite, with the Pacers dictating the pace and getting the Cavaliers scrambling on both ends of the floor. It didn’t help that the wine and gold couldn’t buy a three either.
With 30 seconds to go, the Cavaliers were shooting a season-low 21.6% from three, before a Ty Jerome triple made one to push that mark to 23.7%, still good for the second-worst three-point percentage of the season.
In many respects, the performance was probably an anomaly. Still, the loss was a jolting reminder that real playoff basketball is different.
Star guard Donovan Mitchell gave credence to that.
“We would love to go 16-0, but that’s not how this works,” he said after the loss.
Nobody was worse from long range than Mitchell, who knocked down just one-of-11 shot attempts from beyond the arc. Much of what the Cavaliers do starts with him, both on the floor and off of it.
That’s why his demeanor with his team now trailing in the series following a stunning loss on their home floor will set the tone for Game 2. His message was clear: there’s no reason to panic.
“It would’ve been great to come in here and sweep these guys too, but that’s not how this works, man,” the All-Star said. “This is an uphill battle. It’s the playoffs.”
Mitchell and his teammates entered the series with an appropriate amount of respect for the Pacers, who are just a year removed from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. They all understood Indiana was capable of something like this.
The Cavs took their first punch of the playoffs. Now, it’s about how they respond in what suddenly feels like a critical Game 2. Mitchell plans on having his team ready.
“[The Pacers are] an experienced basketball team,” Mitchell added. “They’re not going to waiver, they’ve been there before. And then for us, it’s one game. The biggest thing is just how do you respond? Look at the film. This is what it’s about, mentally, physically. Continually going, and going and going, and they hit first, we gotta respond.”
