CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers have clinched a berth in the NBA playoffs for the second consecutive season.
With the Cavs defeating the Indiana Pacers 129-120 on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland officially punched its ticket to the postseason.
And because the Cavs prevailed and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 125-113, Cleveland secured home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Cavs (48-33) are fourth in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference standings. They could finish as high as the second seed. The Magic (46-35) are in fifth.
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Last year, home-court advantage didn't elevate the Cavs the way they hoped it would. They were the fourth seed, the New York Knicks were the fifth seed and the Cavs were eliminated in a 4-1 first-round series loss.
The Cavs will soon have a chance to redeem themselves.
"If [our sense of urgency is] not on 10, then we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing, and we shouldn't be playing these games," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Every step of the way we understand where we are and just how important it is."
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The Pacers (46-35) are sixth in the East and gave the Cavs one last opportunity to measure themselves in the regular season against a playoff-caliber opponent.
The Cavs will host the Charlotte Hornets (20-61) at 1 p.m. Sunday in the regular-season finale.
The top six teams in each conference at the end of the regular season will be in the playoffs without appearing in the Play-In Tournament. The teams finishing in seventh through 10th place will vie in the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament will run April 16-19. The playoffs will begin April 20, meaning it's the earliest the Cavs will play their Game 1.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs clinch NBA playoff berth with win vs. Indiana Pacers
