Indiana Pacers: 5 keys to series vs. Cavaliers

1. Play with nothing to lose

This last one isn’t so much a key to victory as it is a reminder, but the Pacers have absolutely no reason to fear the Cavs.

At first glance, this might seem like a bit of an odd thing to say. After all, Indiana has faced off against LeBron-led teams four times over the last six seasons, and all four times they’ve lost. Last year, the series was over in the minimum four games. None of this seems particularly hopeful.

Look a bit deeper though. Last year, they gave Cleveland more trouble than any other opponent in the Eastern Conference, losing the four games by one, six, five and four points, respectively. This season, they faced the Cavs four times, and won three, including once in Ohio. All four games were before the trading deadline, but the fact remains: no one beat LeBron more than they did in 2017-18.

Throw in the fact that head coach Nate McMillan was in Indiana for the tail end of their run-ins with the Heat earlier this decade, and it’s fair to suggest that some institutional knowledge will come into play. No, they haven’t beaten James over seven games yet, but they seem to have a pretty good idea of what could finally work.

Next: Power ranking all 16 teams in the 2018 NBA Playoffs

There’s no holding back now. Time to give it a go.