Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. Cavaliers
1. Don’t let up
It sounds odd to say that Game 4 is a must-win affair for the home team, but it’s also a stretch to say that it isn’t.
If the Cavs achieve a split in Indiana, they will have done what they needed to do, taking back the home-court advantage that the Pacers stole away. If Indiana does lose that game, they’ll either need to win a Game 5 or a Game 7 in Cleveland, neither of which is likely.
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How can they make sure they go up 3-1? One way might be to do something that the Cavs aren’t expecting but should work like a charm: go super small against Cleveland’s starters.
Right now, Indiana has no good place to hide Myles Turner against the Cavs’ starting lineup. He can’t hang with Kevin Love on the perimeter, and is too slow to stick with any of Cleveland’s other four starters. They got away with slotting him on J.R. Smith on Friday night, but that’s a dangerous game to play with a shooter than can start lighting it up at any moment.
A modest proposal: sit Turner early, but instead of bringing in backup big Domantas Sabonis, replace him with Lance Stephenson, allowing Thaddeus Young to play the nominal center spot. Oladipo and Stephenson are good enough on the boards that the Pacers won’t get killed, and Young is already guarding Love on defense. Going super small will also add a dose of speed to a group that looked like it sorely needed it.
They’ll need to do something, because the safe bet is that on Sunday night, Indiana will see an entity it hasn’t yet experienced in this postseason: a truly desperate LeBron James.
Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft
It’s time to pull out all the stops. The Pacers have been playing with house money all year long. No reason to stop now.