The Cleveland Cavaliers were 8.5-point favorites heading into the first game of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, but it was the Pacers that won by nine points.
The Pacers outscored the Cavaliers by 11 in the first quarter, taking a strong lead and never looking back.
While this could cause some people to hit the panic button for the Cavaliers, considering how well they performed in the regular season, there’s plenty to be optimistic about heading into the next few games of the series.
Darius Garland, for instance, is optimistic about playing in Game 2 after missing the opener, as he told reporter Jared Greenberg.
Out for a third-straight game with a sprain in his left big toe, Darius Garland tells @JaredSGreenberg he's optimistic about playing on Tuesday in Game 2 🤝 pic.twitter.com/TSHNmUUMuH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025
Game 1 was the third game in a row that Garland missed due to his toe injury, but it could be his last, at least according to him.
Garland was certainly missed in this contest, as the Cavaliers were missing a key player who has often been a spark plug for them in key situations.
He was the team’s No. 2 scoring option behind Donovan Mitchell during the regular season, and his scoring was certainly missed and evident in Game 1 against the Pacers.
If he is back in Game 2, the Cavaliers should look like an entirely different team, having one more person to push back against the Pacers and get back in the series.
Everyone has talked about the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics meeting in the Eastern Conference Finals, which would be an epic matchup considering how they played each other during the regular season, but they’ll first have to get through the Pacers.
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