The official website predicts that the Cavaliers will eliminate the Pacers 4-2! Mitchell breaks Jordan's record? Dark Horse PK East Boss

On April 30, Beijing time, the Pacers eliminated the Bucks with a total score of 4-1 and met the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The NBA's official website has made a preview and prediction for this round of the series, and it is optimistic that the Cavaliers will eventually eliminate the Pacers 4-2 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The last time the Pacers made it past the first round of two consecutive playoff games was in 2013 and 2014; The last time the Cavaliers did this without LeBron James was in 1992 and 1993.

Now, however, both teams have reached the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second year in a row. The Cavaliers are eager to take the next step this year, while the Pacers are aiming to return to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Judging by the 2024-25 meeting between the two teams, there are not many valid data to refer to. Admittedly, the two Central Division rivals played four games as usual, but only two of them were of full relevance: on January 12 and 14, both sides won one game at each other's home stadium and were evenly divided.

The final two games took place near the end of the regular season. At that time, the Cavaliers had already accumulated energy for the playoffs in advance, and they were almost resting the main team; The Pacers adopted the same strategy in Game 82.

Recent playoff encounters are also difficult to use, as Pacers center Myles Turner is the only one who remains in the rotation of the two teams in two consecutive first-round matchups in 2017 and 2018.

Key Points:

Decisive moments: Don't leave early, and even if the first three quarters of the game didn't give you a feast for your eyes, don't rush to change the table. Because both teams are the best at playing key shots in the NBA. The Cavaliers topped the league in points per game in the fourth quarter (29.8), followed by the Pacers (29.3). However, in terms of shooting percentage in the fourth quarter, the rankings of the two teams reversed — 50.5 percent for the Pacers and 48.7 percent for the Cavaliers.

The Pacers have a 5-1 record in overtime this season and a 24-14 record in "close games" (games with five minutes or less remaining, and a margin of five or less). The Cavaliers were even better, with a 26-12 record in the deadlock, so good that they only went to overtime twice in the regular season.

Focus on the players

Mitchell's first-game performance: Prior to the Cavaliers' first-round game against the Heat, Jordan was the only player in NBA playoff history to score 30+ points in seven consecutive playoff openers. Mitchell equalled Jordan's record in the G1 game against the Heat on April 21, and now he has a chance to break that legendary record.

It's worth mentioning that the Cavaliers guard's playoff career average of 27.8 points per game ranks seventh in NBA history. There is no doubt that the Cavaliers welcomed Mitchell's strong start. The Cavaliers have won the first game of a series 22 times in their history, and ended up winning the entire series 21 times.

Other highlights of both teams

Cavaliers: Pacers head coach Carlisle has a deep rotation with seven players averaging more than 10 points per game. Cavaliers head coach Atkinson has a more versatile roster and tactical set-up, with 10 players averaging at least 19 minutes per game, six players averaging double-doubles per game, and five players making more than 100 three-point shots. Historically, the playoffs have tended to be a time when coaches tighten up their rotations, but when both coaches have a lot of available players, it may be wise to let the game dictate the rotation.

Pacers: Haliburton was labeled "most overrated" in a recent anonymous vote of players, and it would be interesting to see how many of those "sour" voters came from teams that are still playing in the playoffs this season. But the Pacers know how important Haliburton is to the team's championship goals.

He and Nembhard will play a wonderful guard duel with Mitchell and Garland of the Cavaliers. Although Haliburton has not had a good shooting against the Cavaliers this season, his career stats against the Cavaliers — 18.4 points, 8.6 assists per game — and shooting 49.7 percent from the field (37.6 percent from three-point range) — are on par with his career average.

Key figures

24.2: In the first-round series, the Cavaliers were incredibly efficient offensively, scoring 136.2 points per 100 possessions, 24.2 more than the Heat conceded 112.0 points per 100 possessions in the regular season.

The Heat's defense was in the top 10 in the league during the regular season, but their defense was almost completely destroyed in the series that was swept by the Cavaliers. The difference between the Heat's 100-posing regular season points and the Cavaliers' 24.2-point deficit per 100 possessions in the first-round series is the largest margin since game-by-game statistics have been available in the last 29 years.

The Cavaliers shot 63.0 percent from the field, the highest in NBA playoff series history; He shot 86.9 percent from the free-throw line, which ranks 15th all-time.

Predict the outcome

The Cavaliers advanced 4-2. In terms of momentum, which one are you more optimistic about? Is it an overwhelming advantage? The Cavaliers have the upper hand heading into the series, having just set the widest point differential of 122 points in four games in playoff history, making the Heat, who have traditionally exceeded expectations, look like they actually rank 10th in the East. If you prefer an adrenaline-filled comeback, the Pacers have the edge. In Game 5 against the Bucks, they completed the comeback from a 20-point deficit in regulation time and a seven-point deficit in overtime.

Such an experience is undoubtedly an excellent rehearsal for this evenly matched matchup. Still, the Cavaliers' 14 extra wins in the regular season, and the home-court advantage they gained, will help them have the last laugh in this series.