The Indiana Pacers can’t change their one-point loss in Game 1, or alter their blown 26-point lead in Game 3. However, their approach to Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers will show much about the character of this team.
“What if” might just be the most common two-word phrase in sports. The Indiana Pacers are currently singing that tune, having a Game 1 win within their grasp on CJ Miles’ missed midrange jumper, and an inexplicable home court defeat in Game 3 after a 30-point second-half turnaround by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pacers can’t do anything about those games now—they’re in the books, and so is the 3-0 first-round series deficit.
The optimist may say that Indiana could (and perhaps should) hold a 2-1 lead in this series right now, but that’s a common sports fan cliche that has little meaning in the grand scheme of things.
The Pacers can’t change what happened in those first three contests, but they can now decide whether it’s time to give up or man up.
An athlete’s character can be shown in many ways, but in this scenario, Indiana’s players have an opportunity to show that, despite their earlier failings, they will fight to the end and not give anything away to the Cavs.
Will any of this matter in the big picture? No. The Pacers weren’t going to win this series anyway, but the buzzards are circling and the brooms are out going into Game 4 in Indianapolis.
Winning the series is no longer the point for Indiana—showing what they’re made of is.
Game 4 will give management, coaches and fans a chance to see which of these players are ready to go on vacation, and which ones care enough to put it all on the line in what could be the final game of the 2016-17 season.
The remainder of this playoff series may not reveal all the answers, but it will give a solid indication of where this team is headed as we move forward.
The @cavs match the largest comeback in #NBAPlayoffs history (26).
— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2017
CLE takes 3-0 lead, defeat @Pacers 119-114 on LeBron's 41p, 13r & 12a pic.twitter.com/gklK1J9Fwd
The Pacers have shown a lack of mental (and sometimes physical) toughness throughout the season, and that tendency is the primary reason they’re in a 3-0 hole against the defending NBA champions.
Cleveland has what it takes; they’ve proven it repeatedly over the last two years. They showed their character last Thursday night when they rallied from a 72-46 deficit to win a playoff game on the road.
That’s the type of toughness and character Indiana is seeking, and Game 4 is another (and possibly last) chance to make strides toward developing a winning mentality before this season ends.
If the Pacers find the will to compete at a high level in Game 4 and perhaps beyond, it won’t make the Earth move, but it would certainly be a step in the right direction.
What if Indiana just plays out the string and allows the Cavs to waltz out of Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday with a 4-0 series sweep?
It would be the final indication that this team, as a collective unit, doesn’t have the necessary qualities to be more than a lower-echelon playoff team.
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At that point, if Larry Bird is truly committed to winning, he’ll know that changes need to be made—and no one should be immune when the axe begins to fall.