The Indiana Pacers are moving on after a Game 5 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on April 29.
Indiana, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, will play the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Cleveland is led by Donovan Mitchell, who averaged nearly 24 points a game in the first round against the Miami Heat. Evan Mobley, the Defensive Player of the Year, was also a presence for the Cavs with 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Other names to watch out for on the Cavs roster are Ty Jerome (16.3 points per game in the first round), Jarrett Allen (14.3 points and 10.3 points), De’Andre Hunter (13.0 points) and Max Strus (11.0 points). Darius Garland averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 assists, but missed the last two games against the Heat due to a sprained toe.
Here is what you should know about the Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers started 2024-25 season on a hot streak
The Cavaliers began the season with a 15-game winning streak. Cleveland became the fourth team to accomplish that feat in league history, according to Land of Basketball. The 1948-49 Washington Capitols, 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors also started 15-0.
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Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in the first round
The Cavs beat the Heat in the first round, 4-0. It marked the first playoff series sweep for Cleveland without LeBron James in franchise history. The previous 10 sweeps for the Cavaliers were all with James.
Cleveland Cavaliers outscored Miami Heat by a historic margin
The Cavs won their first-round matchup against the Heat by a combined 122 points, which is the largest margin of victory for a series in NBA playoff history.
Pacers vs Cavaliers in the 2024-25 regular season
Despite finishing the regular season with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference (50-32), the Pacers beat the Cavaliers (64-18) three times out of four in 2024-25.
- 1/12/2025: Pacers 108, Cavaliers 93
- 1/24/2025: Cavaliers 127, Pacers 117
- 4/10/2025: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 112
- 4/12/2025: Pacers 126, Cavaliers 118
Pacers vs Cavaliers playoff history
Indiana and Cleveland have met in the playoffs on three occasions. All three matchups were in the first round.
- 1998: Pacers 3-1
- 2017: Cavaliers 4-0
- 2018: Cavaliers 4-3
