Defending NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers will face off against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. The Pacers sneaked into the playoff picture thanks to the five-game win streak they had at the end of the season, as they finished seventh in the East. On the other side, the Cavaliers lost their first seed to the Boston Celtics, and as a result, they will play against the Pacers.
Paul George, Pacers' best player, said that he is looking forward to playing against the reigning champions. "It's going to be tough. They've been struggling of late, but they're still one of the best teams in this game and have one of the best players in the world.
It's going to be a fun matchup. I'm looking forward to it. If you ask me, it's who I've wanted to match up against." George said. He is down for the challenge, and he isn't afraid of going up against LeBron James and the Cavs.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers will be one of the best first-round series
Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers are much better than the Pacers, there is no guarantee that they will win the playoff series against them. The Pacers are coming into the playoffs after winning five straight games, and the Cavaliers have lost their last four. During the regular season, Cleveland won three out of four games, and their last game was simply incredible. The game went into double overtime, and the Cavaliers won it at the end.
LeBron James had a triple-double with 41 points while Paul George scored had a 43-9-9 stat line.
These two teams are evenly matched, and although the Cavaliers are a better team, the Pacers will make them play hard to advance to the second round. Considering how these two teams played lately, it might not be Cleveland that will advance.
Paul George and LeBron James will put on a great show
This won't be the first time that we see LeBron and George go against each other in the playoffs. When he was playing in Miami, James faced the Pacers three straight teams from 2012 to 2014, and it happened twice in the conference finals. This will be the first time that James and George will face off in the first round, and hopefully, the series will be as exciting as the ones we saw in Miami.
LeBron James is 12-7 against Paul George in the playoffs, and we will see if he will continue his domination in Cleveland. Despite their struggles in the regular season, the Cavaliers are still favorites to win a championship title, and they become a much better team in the playoffs. Besides, LeBron said that he believes they can win it all this year, so until someone beats them, they will still be the best team in the NBA.
