Did Kenny Atkinson draw a status ailment card or something? Donovan Mitchell left Game 4 after playing through a calf strain. He said he’ll be available on Tuesday. Evan Mobley (ankle), Darius Garland (toe) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) have all missed parts of this series.
As it stands, the Cavs are getting beat by their own game plan. They were the owners of the regular season’s top-rated offense, prioritizing ball movement, perimeter flexibility and pacing with limited turnovers. It’s Indiana doing all that now, looking like the elite shot-makers, shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range this series.
Bruised and flailing, the Cavs return home to try to force a Game 6. Mitchell looks overextended, averaging 34 points per game but shooting just 22 percent on 3s. Cleveland will need more from Garland. The Cavs have had a rebounding advantage and, in a pressurized and recently-unthinkable spot, they’ll take all the second-chance points they can get (or third/fourth when Mobley is at his best).
No matter the opponent, the Pacers are really cruising around these laps. Six different scorers are averaging between 13 and 18 points per game. Haliburton has 27 assists to six turnovers. Aaron Nesmith looks like Reggie Miller when the calendar flips to May and the whole squad has been carrying a vengeful edge since that overrated word made the rounds.
Indiana was stumped by the 3-2 zone in Game 3, then made the proper adjustments to exploit it come Game 4. A desperate opponent will throw desperate looks; even if something hits, the Pacers have shown that they can adjust for a potential Game 6.
This entire rotation was here for last year’s seismic semifinal run. Rick Carlisle has a ring, and he earned it from one of the toughest gauntlets ever.
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NBA Playoffs picks, odds, schedule for Tuesday: Pacers try to close out Cavs, then Game 5 of Thunder-Nuggets