CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers not only have to overcome a 3-1 deficit, they also have to quickly move on from a historically bad loss in Game 4 — and they might have do it all of it without Donovan Mitchell.
The Cavs had a chance to even the series but were instead torched in Game 4 on May 11, making Game 5 an elimination game.
To make matters potentially worse, star guard Donovan Mitchell is expected to be a game-time decision with a left ankle injury. Mitchell played the first half of Game 4 but couldn’t finish the game.
With the Cavaliers’ backs firmly against the wall, here are Game 5 predictions from Beacon Journal sports writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
Cavs vs Pacers predictions: Who wins Game 5 tonight?
Lewis: Perhaps the most troubling issue with the Cavs from Game 4 wasn’t the actual score, or how they were torched to the tune of a 41-point deficit by halftime; it was how the Pacers surgically dissected a 3-2 zone that worked so well in Game 3. The original switch was a terrific move by Kenny Atkinson, and Rick Carlisle responded in one game in the ongoing chess game that has made each game in this series look entirely different. Can the Cavs defend the Pacers’ five-out offense in man? Can they utilize the zone anymore? Where do they turn? This Pacers offense built on speed, pace, ball movement, force and effort feels like a baseball bullpen that can be fully unleashed in a playoff series after a long regular season of restraint. If Donovan Mitchell’s ankle is actually OK enough to allow him to drive to the paint like he has all series, he’s good enough alone to keep the Cavs alive, though it’s health dependent now. It’s a series of chess moves. I’ll take the Cavs to survive at least one more move — barely. Cavaliers 118, Pacers 114
Ulrich: The Cavs were dominated by the Pacers for most of Game 1 and lost. The Cavs dominated in Game 2 until they blew a 20-point lead amid an epic meltdown and lost on Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beater. The Cavs dominated the Pacers in Game 3. The Cavs were really dominated by the Pacers in Game 4. How are these playoff games so vastly different from each other? What’s with the variance in performance? “I don’t have an answer,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’ve just got to be honest. I don’t know why that is. I mean, maybe it’s like baseball, right? There’s so few games, and now it’s so condensed. … Is playoff defense more focused on taking guys away? So maybe there’s more up and down. But it’s something I’m going to think about on the plane ride home.” This Game 5 prediction isn’t meant to suggest the Cavs will win the series, but here’s guessing the next wild swing in these Eastern Conference semifinals will include Cleveland forcing Game 6 in Indianapolis. Cavaliers 120, Pacers 112
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers vs Pacers predictions: Who wins Game 5 of Eastern Conference semifinal series?
Reporting by Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
