Game 2 Preview: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 2 of their First Round playoff series Monday night. The game tips off at 7 pm ET on TNT.

The Cavs will be looking to go up 2-0 on their home court, before the series shifts to Indianapolis on Thursday.

Series recap

The Cavs and Pacers played a very competitive Game 1, when the Pacers missed an opportunity to steal a game against the defending champs with an offensive breakdown on the last possession of the game.

Both teams were very successful on the offensive end of the floor, with Cavs and Pacers shooting 53.8% and 49.4%, respectively. LeBron James led the way for Cleveland with a very impressive stat line of 32 points (on 12-for-20 shooting), 13 assists, and 6 rebounds in nearly 43 minutes of action. Paul George led the way for Indiana with 29 points, including a very efficient 6-for-8 from three-point land.

Cleveland Cavaliers

One of the reasons the game was so close was because of Cleveland’s inability to convert at the foul line. The Cavs shot a dismal 14-of-27 from the charity stripe, good for a mere 51.9%. The missed opportunities allowed Indiana to stay within striking distance throughout most of the game, giving the Pacers an opportunity to get the win at the end. Fortunately for the Cavs, they were able to come away with the win.

How Game 2 could play out

Recent playoff performance can be a really important indicator when predicting a series.

History told us that Game 1 had the potential to be competitive, and it was.

The Cavs won by only five points at home to the Detroit Pistons in their playoff opener a year ago; they won Game 2 by 17. The Pacers stole Game 1 on the road in Toronto in their playoff opener a year ago, then lost the next game by double-digits.

While Cleveland shot respectably from the floor, their poor free-throw shooting made the game more competitive than it should have. Indiana executed much better than the Cavs for a large portion of the game, and still could not come up with the win.

Based on recent playoff history, and the general talent gap between these two teams, it is hard for me to see the Pacers executing better than the Cavs two games in a row. And based on the fact that their performance on Saturday could not get them a win, I have a hard time believing they will pull through tonight. The Cavs will have to convert at the line though; I have a feeling they will.

Prediction: Cavs 110, Pacers 95