CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers could have used some of the edge in Game 1 with which guard Ty Jerome answered an innocuous question after the Indiana Pacers punched them in the mouth to begin a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series.
What is Jerome’s confidence level in the Cavs being able to bounce back the way they need to for Game 2?
“What you think? You think I’m going to say we think we’re going to lose? We’re confident,” Jerome said.
As the East’s No. 1 playoff seed, the Cavs have earned the right to be confident, and their self-assurance shouldn’t waver after a 121-112 loss to the fourth-seeded Pacers on Sunday, May 4, at Rocket Arena.
But this much is clear as the Cavs face a 1-0 series deficit ahead of Game 2 on May 6 in Cleveland: Their mental and physical toughness is being tested by the Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.
Throughout the Cavs’ 4-0 sweep of the Miami Heat in Round 1, Cleveland trailed for just 17 minutes, 10 seconds. In Game 1 against the Pacers, the Cavs trailed for 40 minutes, 57 seconds.
WATCH: Cleveland Cavs expect mentally, physically tough Indiana series
The Indiana Pacers won Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals 121-112 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers set the tone early.
The Cavs entered the opening round commending the Heat’s championship culture and proceeded to roll to a combined margin of victory of 122 points, the largest point differential in NBA playoff history.
Round 2 is a different animal. An old boxing adage is styles make fights, and the Cavaliers will need to fight for their postseason lives because of how the Pacers play. Indiana’s five-out offense and up-tempo pace are major obstacles.
“It’s going to be a fun series. It’s going to be a real fun series,” Jerome said.
With the exception of the Cavs’ 20-4 run in the third quarter, the Pacers had most of the fun in Game 1.
Indiana used its elite transition offense to put Cleveland on its heels in the first half, and the Pacers shot lights out throughout the game. They went 44-of-83 shooting from the field (53%), including 19 of 36 on 3-pointers (52.8%). The Cavs went 45-of-98 shooting from the floor (45.9%), including 9 of 38 on 3s (23.7%).
“We’ve got to find a way to still win this game, even though we don’t make shots,” Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said.
The Cavaliers couldn’t gut out an ugly win, though. They were “in the blender” early, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson explained, because of the Pacers’ knack for running the floor. Cleveland had received ample warning it would need its track shoes, yet experiencing Indiana’s speed in the playoffs and practicing for it are two different things.
The Cavs lamented their lack of ball movement on offense. Staying disciplined and adhering to their principles comes with the type of mental fortitude they’ll need to display in Game 2.
The Cavs also failed to play with adequate force on defense. They will need to ramp up their physicality to prevent the Pacers from running freely and to apply more pressure in the half court.
Mitchell said he’s “1,000%” sure the Pacers will continue to challenge the Cavaliers mentally and physically. In other words, buckle up. The Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago.
“It would have been great to come in here and sweep these guys, too, but that’s not how this works, man,” Mitchell said. “This is an uphill battle.
“The biggest thing is just how do you respond. Look at the film. But this is what it’s about. Mentally, physically, continually going and going and going. They hit first, and we’ve got to respond.”
Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points, surpassing Michael Jordan for the longest streak in NBA history with 30-plus points in eight consecutive playoff series openers. However, Mitchell took 30 shots to reach his total, finishing 13 of 30 from the field (43.3%), including 1 of 11 on 3-pointers (9.1%).
“I always try to be aggressive to start a series, but Jordan won Game 1. I didn’t,” Mitchell said.
Jerome had 21 points off the bench on 8-of-20 shooting from the field (1 of 4 on 3s) and eight assists. All-Star forward Evan Mobley had 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor (2 of 5 on 3s) and 10 rebounds.
Led by guards Andrew Nembhard with 23 points and Tyrese Haliburton with 22 points, the Pacers had six players reach double figures in scoring. Haliburton also had 13 assists.
Meanwhile, the Cavs had their All-Star point guard, Darius Garland, ruled out shortly before Game 1 with a sprained left big toe. He has missed the past three games, including the final two against the Heat, and his status for Game 2 is uncertain.
Mobley will likely be pushing through an ankle injury. He said he “came down wrong a little bit” on a hook shot against Pacers center Myles Turner, who posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Cavs wing De’Andre Hunter explained he suffered an injured finger as he fell to the floor after Pacers guard-forward Bennedict Mathurin blocked his shot. Hunter said he expects to play in Game 2 despite the injury.
And Mitchell appeared to limp at times in the second half.
Those setbacks are other ways in which the Cavs’ physical and mental toughness are being tested.
They will need to play Game 2 with an edge.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
