A shock was felt through the entire crowd at Quicken Loans Arena as the final buzzer sounded and the Indiana Pacers left the floor with a Game 1 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Cavaliers facing a familiar foe and LeBron James not losing a single first-round game since 2012, it was highly anticipated the Cavs would take to the hardwood hungry and firing to easily take out the victory in their first playoff outing.
How wrong we were, as the hunter became the hunted and the Pacers, led by dynamic scorer Victor Oladipo, took the game to the Cavs from the jump. Oladipo finished with a sizzling 32 points to lead all scorers. Usually having no issues on the offensive end, the Cavs struggled to find a rhythm and consistent flow the entire evening. James finished with a 24-point triple-double but wasn’t his usual dominant self, and Kevin Love ended the ball game with just nine points.
Despite the Pacers’ impressive win, a lot of their success was a direct result of the Cavs’ poor play and slow start. Being down by as many as 23 in the third quarter, the Wine and Gold cut the lead to just eight points before they shot themselves in the foot yet again and let the Pacers run away with the game in the last period.
With the Cavs’ playing group being able to reflect after their film session, swingman Rodney Hood discussed what they thought hurt them the most in the tough loss.
Turnovers are always the biggest concern for any contending team come playoff time, as they realize every single possession matters even more so than the regular season. It wouldn’t have been the only takeaway from reviewing the game, as head coach Tyronn Lue and James have hinted at adjustments the Cavs may go to in Game 2.
The home crowd inside Quicken Loans Arena will be ready and waiting to see the Cavs turn up and dominate come Wednesday night. The Cavs will be looking to turn this series around and even up this match-up.
