Can the Cavs take a 3-2 lead on Indiana at home?
LeBron James vs. Lance Stephenson has become must-watch TV.
Pacers 25, Cavs 23 - End of 1Q
Cavs closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run and LeBron James leads all scorers with 14 points. Victor Oladipo has six points for Indiana.
Pacers 23, Cavs 15 - 3:14 1Q
The Cavs got within two points at 15-13 but the Pacers have gone on another run to open up another lead despite having eight turnovers.
Pacers 13, Cavs 7 - 6:44 1Q
The Pacers have not gotten off to a good start since Game 1 but have an early lead here in Game 5. Indiana went on a 11-2 run in the last three minutes to put them ahead along with five points from Bojan Bogdanovic.
The Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers have played one of the closest series of the opening round, with the teams knotted at two games each. This is unfamiliar ground for LeBron James, who uncharacteristically lost a Game 1 in a playoff series. This was also his first loss in a first-round game in five years. It’s wild to think the Cavs were mere minutes from trailing 3-1 before a Game 4 comeback.
The Cavs have survived because LeBron has been amazing, of course. His 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists narrowly gave the Cavs a 104-100 win in their last outing.
The problem has been finding a second scorer. Kyle Korver assumed that role with 18 points in Game 4, but he isn’t a consistent option in that role. To make things more difficult, George Hill will miss Game 5 with a back injury.
Is it finally time for Kevin Love to appear in this series? The Pacers have limited him to single-digit scoring in two of four games, and for the series, he’s shooting 36 percent from the field. That won’t do it, and the Cavs need better from him.
The Pacers need their star to return, too. Victor Oladipo’s has shot 10-of-30 from the field over the last two games, including 4-of-16 from deep. If Indiana wants to regain control over this series, they’ll need him to return to form.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers Game 5
Date: April 25
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: TNT