The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers squared off on Sunday as a mere formality.
Neither team had anything to play for, and the Cavs rested their top nine players.
They also rested Jarrett Allen just seconds into the game, as he only suited up to make an official appearance in all 82 games this season.
The third-stringers and young players balled out and showed that they can contribute to this team either in the playoffs or next season.
Unfortunately, they still blew a big lead in the fourth quarter before losing in overtime.
Final.@betwayusa | #LetEmKnow
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 13, 2025
That’s why, even though the game was essentially meaningless, some fans still didn’t like what they saw.
Only silver lining is the Cavs starters were forced to be spectators observing how easily a big lead can evaporate when you lose focus.
Might end up being a good motivator heading into the playoffs.
Other than that, this game has 0 impact on anything.
— Ax D WhiteMan (@Ax_D_WhiteMan) April 13, 2025
I can’t wait until we play the Pacers in the 2nd round and these National idiots like Kendrick Perkins say…
“The Pacers won 3 out of 4 against the Cavaliers in the regular season”.
— Kevin Dasd (@Kevin_Dasd) April 13, 2025
Game Overview:
– Great Season let’s make this playoff run
– CPJ is young, has some developing to do, too many turnovers
– Bates, Tyson and Tomlin are the future for this Cavs squad they played great tonight on both ends of the floor
– TT is still an elite rebounder— C_DuBs 🔜 DreamCon (@therealchris_aw) April 13, 2025
Look, I get this game had absolutely no weight to it, and we played our 3rd stringers the entire game. With all that being said, that was a complete and utter coaching failure in that 4th quarter :/
— Ryanwizardstaff (@RyanLan37043020) April 13, 2025
I know we already clinched the #1 spot in the east and the central division early and we’re resting our best players, but having our average players blow it in the 4th quarter by giving Indiana a 17-2 run in 4 1/2 minutes during the regular season finale was UNACCEPTABLE!
— Naraox (@AarontheWise) April 13, 2025
Needless to say, there’s no need to sound the alarms; they should be just fine.
Rookie forward Jaylon Tyson had an outstanding performance, and it was nice to see Emoni Bates also lead the way off the bench and showcase his shot-making skills.
This team has been ready for the playoffs for quite a while now, and the Pacers are one of their potential second-round matchups.
They need to prove themselves on the biggest stage, and some pundits have expressed doubts about their ability to get the job done and take care of business in a seven-game series.
Even so, a team that won 64 games all year and that was either the best or the second-best team in the league from the very beginning of the season until now should get the benefit of the doubt.
NEXT: Kyrie Irving Raves About Donovan Mitchell And Cavs
