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'Put our track shoes on': Cavs working to slow down Pacers' high-paced attack in playoffs
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- 'Put our track shoes on': Cavs working to slow down Pacers' high-paced attack in playoffs
INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers are preparing for a foot race.
The No. 1-seeded Cavs will face the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals . Game 1 is 6 p.m. Sunday , March 4, in Cleveland .
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After eliminating the Miami Heat with a historic sweep, the Cavs will have a much different challenge with the Pacers, who operate with a fast-paced, five-out style of offense that emphasizes speed and spacing.
During the regular season, the Pacers had a pace rating of 100.76 , which ranked seventh in the NBA. That level of pace, combined with an offense that relies on just about any player being able to shoot from any spot on the floor, makes Indiana one of the tougher defensive assignments in the league.
"Put our track shoes on," said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson when asked about negating the Pacers', well, pace. "We have the athleticism, we have the speed. It's just the initial shock of them doing it so consistently."
Last year, the Pacers operated the system brilliantly and beat the New York Knicks en route to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics finally put the brakes on them.
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"The Knicks series last year, they kind of wore 'em out. They wore 'em out," Atkinson said. "They run more than anybody in the league. That's not just visual, there's facts behind that."
In the modern NBA, most teams use pace and spacing, but few do it better — or in such an extreme fashion — than Indiana, to the point that it's virtually impossible for opponents to truly simulate it in practice.
"It's tough," Atkinson said. "A ton of film work and simulating the best you can with our breakdowns, but you're not getting a group of coaches to replicate that.
"I'm going to steal [this from former NBA coach] Mike D'Antoni, that was his thing, they can't beat us those first three [steps]," Atkinson said. "They can't beat us out of the blocks."
Apr 10, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) fight for a rebound in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Darius Garland injury status: All-Star guard questionable for Game 1
Cavs point guard Darius Garland has been listed as questionable for Game 1 against the Pacers.
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Garland, dealing with a big toe sprain, missed Games 3 and 4 against the Heat .
Atkinson noted Saturday, May 3, that Garland had an active practice Friday, May 2, and a much lighter day on Saturday, and that they'd assess where he's at Sunday morning, May 4.
Sam Merrill started both games in Miami that Garland missed.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: NBA playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers could be foot race
