Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. Pacers
By Ryan Piers
3. Cavs need to force turnovers
The Pacers like to play in transition. Their best player, Victor Oladipo, feeds off turnovers, leading the NBA in steals during the regular season.
The Pacers are at their best when they cut off passing lanes, swiping passes and getting in transition. The Cavaliers were able to flip the script in Game 3’s first quarter, forcing seven turnovers.
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It was Cleveland’s best overall period, in part because they applied significant defensive pressure. It threw the Pacers off their game. They began to pass to the paint early in possessions, worried about the potential throwaway resulting from consistent ball movement.
The Cavs were only able to force 10 turnovers the rest of the way in route to defeat.
Cleveland turned the Pacers over 17 times in its Game 2 win. The only other time the Cavs beat Indiana this season, they caused 16 turnovers.
Here are the turnover numbers in the previous four losses: 11, 8, 14, 11.
Including the playoffs, Cleveland is now 2-5 against Indiana this season. It’s time to start wondering if the Pacers are simply a bad matchup. If the Cavs want to turn things around, it starts on the defensive end.