Indiana Pacers Get Much-Needed Opening Series Win Vs. Cavaliers

CLEVELAND – No, Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers was not a “must-win game” for the Indiana Pacers. But in terms of seizing an opportunity, Game 1 was a chance that the Pacers couldn’t let get away.

Indiana is the road team in the best-of-seven set, meaning only three games at most will be played in Indianapolis. If the Pacers are going to win the series, they’ll have to win on the road. They knew it wouldn’t be easy coming into the second round – they have a ton of respect for Cleveland and their high-powered offense.

But that elite scoring attack was missing a key piece to open the series. Darius Garland, a two-time All-Star who earned that honor again in 2025, was out with a toe injury. It was his third-straight missed game for the Cavaliers, so the Pacers already had an unforeseen advantage in Game 1.

What other edge did the Pacers have in Game 1?

The blue and gold needed to take advantage, but Garland’s absence alone didn’t end up being the only reason the first game of the series came with extra closing pressure for the visitors. Indiana started the series hot with their jumpers, something they’ve done before in the postseason but less often to this extent.

“I think the ball movement was good, and [our threes] were in rhythm,” Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard said postgame. “A lot of the times when a lot of guys are touching it, [the ball] just has a better energy about it.”

After one quarter, the Pacers were 6/9 from deep. Not long after, they sat at 9/15 from long range. They couldn’t miss, and it wasn’t just one player – six different Pacers combined to make those first nine outside shots.

That didn’t slow down in the second half as Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith combined to make four threes in under five minutes to open the third quarter. Late in that period, Bennedict Mathurin stopped a Cavs run with a big triple, then Myles Turner hit one at the ending buzzer of the quarter.

All night, the Pacers were warm from deep. But they weren’t creating a ton of separation on the scoreboard. Cleveland took the lead in the third quarter, then again in the fourth during a back-and-forth game. Indiana had to earn a victory. They couldn’t waste a game where their shots were falling at a terrific rate.

“I feel like our offensive processes were good. Felt like we got good shots and just stepped into them and knocked them down,” Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said.

The Pacers hopes to get Game 1 extended beyond the jump shots. Garland, who has an All-NBA case this season, was out. Some thought he would play, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle made a joke pregame that indicated he thought Garland would be in the lineup. But he wasn’t, and Cleveland started shooting guard Sam Merrill in his place.

Merrill is a good shooter and lit up Indiana during the regular season. He’s not close in impact to Garland, though. It was a huge loss for the Cavs, who clearly weren’t moving the ball as well as they did throughout the regular season.

Cleveland lost three-point shooting without Garland, too. They were off all night, making just nine of their 38 looks for the contest. It was one of their worst games of the entire campaign from long range for the 64-win group, a massive issue on a night when Indiana was hot.

Garland’s absence made it difficult for the Cavs to make up the gap in three-point shooting in other ways. He can get into the lane and finish. He’s a strong distributor, and his gravity would have made it harder for the Pacers to defend others. The Cavs were better with him on the floor than off this season.

“When he doesn’t play, they play pretty well without him,” Carlisle noted of Garland’s absence.

Merrill had a just-okay outing. Garland’s ball handling mostly shifted to Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, and reserve guard Ty Jerome took on a bigger role. Those two are talented players, but the Pacers still were given an advantage with Garland out.

“Losing a lot of talent,” Mitchell said of the Cavaliers injuries on Tuesday when addressing the team being banged up.

With Garland out and the Pacers feeling it from long range, they needed to win Game 1. They had a better-than-expected opportunity to win a road game against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Losing a battle with this many things going their way would signal a challenging series would be coming for Indiana.

The blue and gold played like they knew they needed the win. Haliburton, known for his offensive firepower, had a few of his best-ever postseason defensive reps late in the game to help his team get stops. Turner finished plays inside the arc and grabbed 11 rebounds to balance the possession battle after the Cavs dominated it early. Indiana controlled the pace and moved the ball well.

The list goes on and on. Carlisle and Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson both commented on the Pacers great shooting when speaking with reporters postgame, but the Pacers won thanks to more than just that. They did many things well down the stretch.

Given the opportunity they had open up, it was critical that they had a strong close. “When we’re making shots like that, we’re tough to beat,” Haliburton said.

With Garland out and threes dropping, the Pacers needed to come away with Game 1. They did, and they now have the Cavaliers looking for answers. Haliburton has never lost a home playoff game, and the Pacers will win this series if they go unbeaten at home. It’s now on Cleveland to find answers if they want to find their footing against an Indiana team that earned a 1-0 series lead.