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It seems like the Cleveland Cavaliers may be finding their stride heading into the postseason. The squad steamrolled the Bucks while hitting 18 threes, and the team is finding its shooting stroke, something sorely missing for much of the season. They head to square off with the Pacers in Indianapolis. Will they keep the good times rolling?
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Indiana
Where to watch: ESPN
Enemy Blog: Indy Cornrows
Music: The Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
What to watch for:
- Cross your fingers, but it looks like the Cavaliers might be playing their way through the Dog Days of the NBA season. The playoffs are almost here, and the Cavaliers look like they're having some actual honest to god fun playing basketball.
- Kevin Love's jumper has been going in, and coincidentally, the Cavs have looked really, really good with Love out there. They're also doing a much nicer job finding Love when he gets deep post position, and his jump hook is, as it's been all season, nearly automatic when he's close.
- LeBron continues to dunk all over the league. As our friend Conrad Kaczmarek has noted, 61.4 percent of LeBron's field goal attempts have been layups or dunks since the team got worked over in Miami. LeBron around the rim is a scary, scary LeBron.
- The Cavaliers finally won their first game in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in six years in Febrary (at a game I attended, no less,) but it's still a place that causes this squad some problems historically. The Pacers defend very intelligently, and the Cavs will have to avoid reverting to their ball-stopping ways if they want an easy win.
- The Pacers haven't been playing particularly well recently, but are on a two-game win streak due to games against Philly and New York. They're currently a half-game up on the Pistons for the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, and they'd probably like to avoid the Cavs in the first round. They should be motivated.
Fear the Sword's Fearless Prediction:
I can't help but think things have been a little too easy for the Cavs during their four-game win streak. Indy will challenge this team, but the Cavaliers will pull away with a 99-92 win.