The Indiana Pacers annihilated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-87 on Friday night in Game 6 of their first-round series, to keep their season alive, and force a Game 7.
https://youtu.be/tQatPQ_ipGw?t=10s
The Pacers got a triple-double and 28 points from Victor Oladipo, and had double-digit scoring from seven different players. Meanwhile, the Cavs only got double-digit scoring by three players, and LeBron James (22 points) was the only one to score over 13 points.
Now, Game 7 will be in Cleveland, and the Cavs have LeBron James. It’s hard to bet against LeBron (as he reminded us in Game 5), and especially when talking a Game 7 in his arena.
But the Pacers flat-out have looked like the better basketball team in this series (and far and away the better basketball team if you took LeBron out of the conversation). While the series is even at 3-3, the Pacers hold a +44 advantage in point differential. Their confidence has to be sky-high right now.
Cavs-Pacers now tied 3-3, with Game 7 on Sunday.
After 6 games, the Pacers have a +44 point differential
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) April 28, 2018
I picked the Cavs to go to the Finals. But…
Am I the only one who thinks the Pacers should be favored in game 7, even though it's in Cleveland?
The Cavs look lifeless. And their defense is non-existent. I think Indiana's confidence has to be at an all-time high.
— John Ireland (@LAIreland) April 28, 2018
The Pacers have every reason to genuinely believe they can win a Game 7 in Cleveland
— InsideHoops (@InsideHoops) April 28, 2018
Kevin Love is going to have to show up in Game 7 or they’re going home. LeBron can get them 4/5 of the way there at home, but they need one more guy. Maybe JR can do it, but Love is the quickest path from point A to B.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 28, 2018
This is certainly unusual early playoff territory for LeBron. In fact, this is his first-ever Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs.
Game 7 tips off on Sunday at a TBD time at Quicken Loans Arena.
“But the Pacers flat-out have looked like the better basketball team in this series…”
All the LeBron fanboys can talk about how he’s the ‘greatest of all time … without question’ … but, the last time I checked, one man doesn’t win a title by himself. Even Michael Jordan needed Scotty Pippen, Dennis Rodman and other solid supporting players, which LeBron doesn’t seem to have in Cleveland. This is why the 76ers are a fun team to watch: even with studs like Simmons and Embiid, it’s the supporting cast – Reddick, Belinelli, Covington, Saric, McConnell, Fultz and others – that makes them a dangerous team who has as good of a chance, if not the best chance, of winning the East.
That’s not to take away from LeBron as a player (not saying he’s GOAT, but he’s at least Top 3-5 all time), but if the other guys don’t step up, that’s not on LeBron.