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Cavaliers vs Pacers predictions: Who wins Game 2 of Eastern Conference semifinal series?
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- Cavaliers vs Pacers predictions: Who wins Game 2 of Eastern Conference semifinal series?
The Eastern Conference's top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers unexpectedly find themselves trailing the Indiana Pacers 1-0 in their second-round series after the Pacers prevailed 121-112 in Game 1.
Can the banged-up Cavs bounce back in a pivotal Game 2 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Rocket Arena?
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Here are predictions for Game 2 from Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
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Pacers vs. Cavs prediction: Who wins Game 2 tonight?
Lewis: The Cavs have a lot working against them. Darius Garland , Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter are all questionable. As a team, they did little to slow down the Pacers' offensive system, and they didn't handle Indiana's physicality very well. Disrupting the Pacers' shot quality is going to be key. All of that being said, it's unlikely the Pacers again shoot better than 50% from 3-point range, and it's unlikely the Cavs are so cold from 3-point range. In Game 1, Cleveland attempted two more 3s but made 10 fewer. Those numbers should even out a bit. If Mobley is out or hampered, that's a big blow. Still, I think the Cavs rebound in Game 2 thanks to some of the shooting discrepancies evening out, but they're in real trouble of falling behind 2-0 in the series. Cavaliers 119, Pacers 114
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Cavs injury news: Kenny Atkinson upset with no-calls. De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley questionable for Game 2
Ulrich: Here's a guess: The Cavs won't shoot nearly as poorly from 3-point range as they did in Game 1, and the Pacers won't shoot nearly as well from deep as they did in Game 1. If the roles are reversed beyond the arc to a significant degree in Game 2, the Cavs should bounce back. Actually, it's probably their clearest path to victory as they attempt to overcome several injuries plaguing their roster. In the series opener, the Cavs went 45-of-98 shooting from the floor (45.9%), including 9 of 38 on 3s (23.7%). Meanwhile, the Pacers went 44-of-83 shooting from the field (53%), including 19 of 36 on 3-pointers (52.8%). The discrepancy in successful 3s alone accounted for a point differential of 30. In the regular season, the Cavs averaged 15.9 made 3s on 41.5 attempts, shooting 38.3% from long range and ranking second in the NBA in the category. The Pacers averaged 13.2 made 3s on 35.8 attempts, shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc and ranking 11th in the league. As long as each team shoots closer to how it did in an 82-game sample size, the Cavs ought to have a good chance to tie the series 1-1. Cavaliers 129, Pacers 119
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs vs Indiana Pacers predictions for Game 2
