Pacers v Cavs: Game 5 Preview
Many people considered Game 4 to be a must-win game for the Indiana Pacers, and they lost. Not only did they lose the game, but they also lost home-court advantage for the series, meaning they’ll have to win at least one more game in Cleveland in order to close out the series. Why not make Game 5 the one?
Indiana will look to take control of the series again with a win, but what will it take for the Pacers to get the job done in Cleveland Wednesday night? The answer is resilience, perimeter defense, and All-Star play from Victor Oladipo.
While the loss in Game 4 may have struck a blow to the Pacers confidence, they have to be able to move on from it and put it out of their minds. At this point, it’s a best-of-3 series and all you have to do is win two of your next three games to move on.
It’s much easier said than done, especially when facing LeBron James, but the Pacers can’t overthink this. They aren’t down 3-0 facing a sweep. They’re not facing a team that’s clearly superior to them either. In fact, you could certainly argue that the Pacers have been the better team through 4 games. If they keep that going for Game 5, they should be in good shape.
In order to get this Game 5 win, the Pacers need to get back to locking down the perimeter on defense. That goes double for Kyle Korver, who torched the Pacers for 18 points while shooting 4-of-9 from deep. In their two wins this series, Indiana has held Kyle Korver to a total of 0 (ZERO!!!!!!!!) points. In their two losses, Korver has averaged 15 points and four made threes. In a series where three of the four games have been decided by four points or less, it is clear that Korver’s shooting has been a difference maker. If the Pacers can lock down Korver and the Cavs other perimeter threats, Game 5 should go in the Pacers favor.
Finally, the most obvious key to the Game for Indiana is Victor Oladipo playing like an All-Star. After a hot start to the series, Oladipo has struggled mightily in the last two games, scoring just 35 points and shooting 10-for-35 from the field, including an abysmal 4-of-16 on threes. Oladipo has been the key to the Pacers’ success all season, and there is no reason that should change right now. While backup from Bojan Bogdanovic and the rest of the Pacers supporting cast is important, it is clear that this Pacers team is going nowhere without Victor Oladipo playing at the top of his game.
Tied up at 2-2, this series is up for the taking. If Oladipo can bounce back on offense and the Pacers can lock down the perimeter, Game 5 might just be their chance to take it.