2018 NBA Playoffs: First-round schedule, initial thoughts on each series

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9 of 9

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5)

Season Series: 3-1, PacersÂ

Game 1: Sun. April 15 – Indiana at Cleveland, 3:30 p.m., AB
Game 2: Wed. April 18 – Indiana at Cleveland, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Fri. April 20 – Cleveland at Indiana, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 4: Sun. April 22 – Cleveland at Indiana, 8:30 p.m., TNT
*Game 5: Wed. April 25 – Indiana at Cleveland, TBD
*Game 6: Fri. April 27 – Cleveland at Indiana, TBD
*Game 7: Sun. April 29 – Indiana at Cleveland, TBD

I honestly don’t know what to make of this series. Everything in my being makes me want to count out and not even talk much about the chances that the Indiana Pacers have, but everything in my head makes me want to say that this series is by no means a forgone conclusion.

The Cavs have struggled all year long on defense, and LeBron James is no longer the 1-one-1 defender that he used to be.

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Indiana is young and doesn’t have much playoff experience on its roster. But the more I think about this the more I’m sure it won’t matter. The Pacers have a chance here to do something historic. They’re going to have to be as close to perfect as possible, but the opportunity is there.

In the end, I’ve learned to never bet against LeBron James in the East. Sooner or later, though, his reign is going to end.