Indiana Pacers: 5 keys to series vs. Cavaliers

The Indiana Pacers are about to play the role of David in a series against the reigning three-time conference champs. Here’s how they can take down Goliath.

It seems like yesterday that the Indiana Pacers were the laughingstock of the NBA, having dealt away one of the three best two-way players in the league for a guy most analysts thought wasn’t worth his contract and a young big man who failed to distinguish himself in any discernible way during his rookie season.

That was then. Today, the Pacers wake up knowing that in a few days, they’ll be tasked with doing something no Eastern Conference team has accomplished since Obama was in his second year in office, Tiger Woods was still married, and Victor Oladipo hadn’t yet gone to prom: take down LeBron James.

In other words, welcome to Thunderdome.

Nothing about the task that lies ahead of them will be easy, despite the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers are more vulnerable now than any James-led team has been in over a decade. Zero prognosticators will pick Indiana to win this series, much less get it back home for a Game 6. That being said, this team has spit in the face of expectations all year, and will go into the playoffs expecting to win.

Here’€™s a look at the five things the Pacers need to do to pull off the upset.