Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Game 2 Preview and Prediction

• Did the Cavaliers get the wake-up call they needed after Game 1?
• Victor Oladipo is the superstar Orlando and Oklahoma City never had
• LeBron James will show up to play – how many of his teammates will join?

After getting blasted in Game 1, the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in unfamiliar territory – trailing a first round series. They try to right that ship Wednesday in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers.

LeBron and his teams are synonymous with First Round domination – he’d won 21 straight in the opening round – so imagine the surprise in Cleveland when the Pacers hit them with the kitchen sink in the first quarter. Long time LeBron nemesis Lance Stephenson let everyone know they weren’t playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObeejuN5USM

But that spike was just the appetizer to Victor Oladipo’s main course. The Pacers All-Star was easily the best player on the court in Game 1. It’s safe to say he was underwhelming in Orlando and looked lost in OKC, but he’s arrived in Indiana. His six three-pointers in Game 1 matched his entire output of threes in five games against the Rockets last year. He ran this town Sunday night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Zu2_ze6_g

LeBron was his usual brilliant self, recording a triple-double, but Jeff Green – named to the starting lineup prior to the playoffs – was the most horrendous out of a litany of horrendous Cavs performers. He finished with 0 points, on 0-for-7 from the field, and a tidy 0-for-3 from the free throw line.

Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Team Stats

OFFENSE

*Stats do not include the playoffs

DEFENSE

*Stats do not include the playoffs

Head-to-Head Results

This is the fourth win in five games for the Pacers over the Cavs this season, but the first since Cleveland’s trade deadline makeover. Doesn’t seem to matter who’s in there. Cleveland’s porous defense is usually the issue, but they held Indiana to under 100 points. It’s too bad that their high octane offense hit the skids in this one.

When they won in the regular season, it’s because the Cavaliers scorched from three-point range. In their 50 wins, they shot 41-percent from beyond the arc, just 31-percent in losses. In Game 1, they were just 8-for-34, good for just 23.5-percent.

Notable Injuries and Absences

 Straight Up Advice: Cavaliers (116-106)

There were a couple of players that didn’t look ready for primetime in this one, including Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood, so expect vets like JR Smith to see more playing time, and Tyronn Lue would be smart to dust off Tristan Thompson and get him some reps.

It’s hard to expect a better defensive effort for the Cavaliers – this is a team that surrendered 109 points a game this year – but you should expect a greater offensive output. This is only the second time this year they’ve been held to 80 or less points in a game.

Expect LeBron James to establish his will on the game earlier, and the Cavaliers take care of business before heading to Indy.

Team Trends

Additional SU Picks (April 18th)

Also on the Wednesday docket, Utah and Minnesota try to claw back into their opening round series’ out West.