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Indianapolis Star
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Pacers' ability to withstand 'Cavalanche' in Game 1 shows power of experience
CLEVELAND — With every third-quarter stop the Cavaliers made on defense and every forceful or dazzling bucket that followed, Rocket Arena slipped further into ear-drum piercing, white towel-waving delirium. The towels — which read "Let 'Em Know" had been placed on every chair in the building and contrasted well with the red wine T-shirts with gold lettering that said "We Are the Diff" (meaning difference) that came with them. In the third quarter when the Cavs went on a went on a 20-4 run that included a 10-0 stretch to turn a 12-point Pacers lead into a four-point Cavs advantage, the Cleveland fans implemented those tools to create the effect of the world coming down on the Pacers ' heads, especially on the put-back bucket by Evan Mobley that gave the Cavs the lead and the acrobatic spin-move floater by Donovan Mitchell that made it a four-point advantage. But just as the Pacers seemed to be losing their grip entirely, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and promising young wing Bennedict Mathurin made a play. Haliburton drove past Cavs guard Ty Jerome and got Mathurin's defender — long-armed wing De'Andre Hunter — to help off and then leap with Haliburton when he pulled up for what Hunter had every reason to believe would be a mid-range jumper. Instead, while still in the air, Haliburton wrapped a bounce pass around Hunter to Mathurin in the right corner and Mathurin drilled a 3 that ended a drought of 3 minutes, 25 seconds without points and four minutes without a field goal. The crowd swiftly silenced and it got even more quiet at the end of the third when Pacers center Myles Turner nailed a buzzer beating 3-pointer from the same corner that gave the Pacers a two-point lead heading into the fourth. The No. 1 seed Cavaliers so frequently used runs like they had in the third to overwhelm teams this season that they earned the name "Cavalanche," but after the Pacers stunted that run, the Cavs never took back control in the fourth. The No. 4 seed Pacers held them to 22 fourth-quarter points to claim a 121-112 win in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday, stealing homecourt advantage from a 64-18 team that posted the second-best record in the NBA and the second-best record in its history this season. They get a chance at another road win Tuesday in Game 2. "I thought we did a great job of weathering the storm," Haliburton said. "That Cavalanche was on its way. I thought we did a great job of weathering that, and once that happened I felt confident in our group." The fact the Pacers had the stomach to face down that run and not let the arena get the best of them says as much about their growth and about the chance they have to pull a notable upset in this series as anything else that happened in Sunday's game. Last season, they had to play Game 1 on the road in all three series, but they never won and ended up 2-7 in playoff road games with the only victories coming Game 2 against the Bucks in the first round and Game 7 against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They are 2-1 in the road so far in this year's playoffs, having also won Game 4 against the Bucks after dropping Game 3. They are used to ups and downs and close games and having to hang in there when things get close. They were 24-14 this season in games the NBA defines as "clutch" — games that are within five points at any point in the final five minutes — with only the Cavaliers, Rockets and Warriors amassing more wins. So far in these playoffs, they're 3-0 in such scenarios. "We're a competitive group of guys," forward Aaron Nesmith said. "I think our series in Milwaukee, I just think everything we've experienced from last year and the regular season — toward the end regular season all the close games we were in — has just continued to help us in these moments. We're continuing to get better and better in the fourth quarter." The Pacers made a point to note they were fortunate on Sunday, in part because the box score strongly suggested that exceptionally good 3-point shooting on their part and exceptionally bad shooting on the Cavaliers' part was the only reason they were able to pull it off. Cleveland ranked second in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (15.9) and 3-point percentage (.383) while the Pacers ranked 16th in 3s (13.2 per game) and ninth in 3-point percentage (.368). On Sunday, though, the Pacers made 19 of their 36 attempts (52.8%) while the Cavs were 9-of-38 (23.7%). Mitchell scored 33 points and as exceptional as he was at getting to the rim, he was 1-of-11 from 3-point range. Evan Mobley, Max Strus and Sam Merrill hit two 3s each, but they were a combined 6-of-18 from beyond the arc and no one else hit more than one 3. The 30-point differential beyond the arc made up for the fact the Pacers were crushed in other usually crucial categories. The Cavaliers outscored the Pacers in the paint 70-38, and though the rebounding battle was even at 43, they grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to the Pacers' seven and turned those into 21 second-chance points to the Pacers' four. The Pacers usually win the turnover battle, but Sunday they committed 17 turnovers to the Cavaliers' eight and were outscored 22-9 on points off turnovers. The paint figure was particularly concerning. The Pacers only gave up 70 points in the paint or more four times this season. The Cavs were 35-of-58 in the lane and 9-of-38 from 3, meaning they took two just jump shots outside the paint that weren't 3s. "A lot of mistakes were made," Nesmith said. "We have to be better for Game 2. ... That's a lot of points in the paint and I think a lot of that is coming off of second chance points, offensive rebounds. They missed a lot of 3s today, and they're going to do better." That being said, the Pacers' 3-pointers can't be dismissed as a case of simple shooting luck making up for shortcomings elsewhere. They were a product of ball movement, pace, opportunism off of defensive stops and of shooters who have become particularly comfortable putting the ball up in big moments. "The key word is aggression," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to be in attack mode to have a chance to beat this team. In those situations, we just encourage our guys to play free and let it ride." A lot of the Pacers' looks were clean because they came off exceptional ball movement. Though the turnover figure was unusually high, the Pacers also had 30 assists with Haliburton dishing out 13 to go with his 22 points, Andrew Nembhard dishing out six and forward Pascal Siakam had four. "I think the ball movement was good and they were in the rhythm," Nembhard said. "A lot of times, when a lot of guys are touching it, the ball has a better energy to it." Some of the guys shooting it — especially Nembhard — already had a good energy. After making 29.1% of his 3s this season and making just 1-of-15 in the season's final five games, he made 11-of-22 against the Bucks, then drilled 5-of 6-on Sunday for 23 points. He hit two 3s in the fourth quarter that were both step-backs from 30 feet and beyond. Nembhard never hit more than two 3-pointers in a game this regular season. In the playoffs he's hit three or more in four of the six games and is shooting 57.1% from beyond the arc. He has 16 3-pointers in six playoff games, which matches the number he made in the last 20 games of the regular season. That contribution comes on top of what he does as a defender taking top perimeter assignments as he spent most of Sunday night guarding Mitchell. According to matchup data, Nembhard held Mitchell to two points on 1-of-10 shooting. "Drew is just doing what Drew does," Haliburton said. " Come playoff time, he's unbelievable. He's unbelievable all the time, especially defensively, but his lock-in level is just unbelievable right now. He's just doing a great job of letting the game come to him and stepping into shots with confidence." So is Nesmith, who was 4-of-6 from 3 and posted 17 points, eight rebounds and a remarkable block on a Mitchell 3-pointer that turned into one of his own 3s. He's averaging 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in the playoffs so far — well above his regular season averages of 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds — while making 55% of his field goals and 54.5% of his 3s (18-of-33). "I'm just trusting the work," Nesmith said, "knowing my rhythm, trusting my process and letting it fly." Nembhard and Nesmith represent the Pacers' connective tissue. They're no-maintenance, good-soldier types and their big plays tend to create infectious energy. They seemed to inspire Mathurin, who was 3-of-5 from 3-point range for 11 points and also had a massive block to stop Hunter on a fast-break attempt. It took a string of plays like that on both ends to stop the Cavs' run and to keep them from making another one, but the Pacers have enough experience now to put those together. "We fought," Nesmith said. "We withstood their runs. We had a run of our own. They made a run. We stopped the bleeding. We continued to chip and grind away and build a little lead back for ourselves again." The Cavaliers still feel confident and have plenty of reason to. They may get All-Star point guard Darius Garland back as soon as Game 2, they were 34-7 at home this year and never lost consecutive home games. But the Cavs also saw the value of the lessons the Pacers have learned over the past two seasons. "This is an experienced basketball team," Mitchell said. "They're not going to waver. They've been here before."
Indianapolis Star
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Pacers' ability to withstand 'Cavalanche" in Game 1 shows power of experience
CLEVELAND — With every third-quarter stop the Cavaliers made on defense and every forceful or dazzling bucket that followed, Rocket Arena slipped further into ear-drum piercing, white towel-waving delirium. The towels — which read "Let 'Em Know" had been placed on every chair in the building and contrasted well with the red wine T-shirts with gold lettering that said "We Are the Diff" (meaning difference) that came with them. In the third quarter when the Cavs went on a went on a 20-4 run that included a 10-0 stretch to turn a 12-point Pacers lead into a four-point Cavs advantage, the Cleveland fans implemented those tools to create the effect of the world coming down on the Pacers ' heads, especially on the put-back bucket by Evan Mobley that gave the Cavs the lead and the acrobatic spin-move floater by Donovan Mitchell that made it a four-point advantage. But just as the Pacers seemed to be losing their grip entirely, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and promising young wing Bennedict Mathurin made a play. Haliburton drove past Cavs guard Ty Jerome and got Mathurin's defender — long-armed wing De'Andre Hunter — to help off and then leap with Haliburton when he pulled up for what Hunter had every reason to believe would be a mid-range jumper. Instead, while still in the air, Haliburton wrapped a bounce pass around Hunter to Mathurin in the right corner and Mathurin drilled a 3 that ended a drought of 3 minutes, 25 seconds without points and four minutes without a field goal. The crowd swiftly silenced and it got even more quiet at the end of the third when Pacers center Myles Turner nailed a buzzer beating 3-pointer from the same corner that gave the Pacers a two-point lead heading into the fourth. The No. 1 seed Cavaliers so frequently used runs like they had in the third to overwhelm teams this season that they earned the name "Cavalanche," but after the Pacers stunted that run, the Cavs never took back control in the fourth. The No. 4 seed Pacers held them to 22 fourth-quarter points to claim a 121-112 win in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday, stealing homecourt advantage from a 64-18 team that posted the second-best record in the NBA and the second-best record in its history this season. They get a chance at another road win Tuesday in Game 2. "I thought we did a great job of weathering the storm," Haliburton said. "That Cavalanche was on its way. I thought we did a great job of weathering that, and once that happened I felt confident in our group." The fact the Pacers had the stomach to face down that run and not let the arena get the best of them says as much about their growth and about the chance they have to pull a notable upset in this series as anything else that happened in Sunday's game. Last season, they had to play Game 1 on the road in all three series, but they never won and ended up 2-7 in playoff road games with the only victories coming Game 2 against the Bucks in the first round and Game 7 against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They are 2-1 in the road so far in this year's playoffs, having also won Game 4 against the Bucks after dropping Game 3. They are used to ups and downs and close games and having to hang in there when things get close. They were 24-14 this season in games the NBA defines as "clutch" — games that are within five points at any point in the final five minutes — with only the Cavaliers, Rockets and Warriors amassing more wins. So far in these playoffs, they're 3-0 in such scenarios. "We're a competitive group of guys," forward Aaron Nesmith said. "I think our series in Milwaukee, I just think everything we've experienced from last year and the regular season — toward the end regular season all the close games we were in — has just continued to help us in these moments. We're continuing to get better and better in the fourth quarter." The Pacers made a point to note they were fortunate on Sunday, in part because the box score strongly suggested that exceptionally good 3-point shooting on their part and exceptionally bad shooting on the Cavaliers' part was the only reason they were able to pull it off. Cleveland ranked second in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (15.9) and 3-point percentage (.383) while the Pacers ranked 16th in 3s (13.2 per game) and ninth in 3-point percentage (.368). On Sunday, though, the Pacers made 19 of their 36 attempts (52.8%) while the Cavs were 9-of-38 (23.7%). Mitchell scored 33 points and as exceptional as he was at getting to the rim, he was 1-of-11 from 3-point range. Evan Mobley, Max Strus and Sam Merrill hit two 3s each, but they were a combined 6-of-18 from beyond the arc and no one else hit more than one 3. The 30-point differential beyond the arc made up for the fact the Pacers were crushed in other usually crucial categories. The Cavaliers outscored the Pacers in the paint 70-38, and though the rebounding battle was even at 43, they grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to the Pacers' seven and turned those into 21 second-chance points to the Pacers' four. The Pacers usually win the turnover battle, but Sunday they committed 17 turnovers to the Cavaliers' eight and were outscored 22-9 on points off turnovers. The paint figure was particularly concerning. The Pacers only gave up 70 points in the paint or more four times this season. The Cavs were 35-of-58 in the lane and 9-of-38 from 3, meaning they took two just jump shots outside the paint that weren't 3s. "A lot of mistakes were made," Nesmith said. "We have to be better for Game 2. ... That's a lot of points in the paint and I think a lot of that is coming off of second chance points, offensive rebounds. They missed a lot of 3s today, and they're going to do better." That being said, the Pacers' 3-pointers can't be dismissed as a case of simple shooting luck making up for shortcomings elsewhere. They were a product of ball movement, pace, opportunism off of defensive stops and of shooters who have become particularly comfortable putting the ball up in big moments. "The key word is aggression," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to be in attack mode to have a chance to beat this team. In those situations, we just encourage our guys to play free and let it ride." A lot of the Pacers' looks were clean because they came off exceptional ball movement. Though the turnover figure was unusually high, the Pacers also had 30 assists with Haliburton dishing out 13 to go with his 22 points, Andrew Nembhard dishing out six and forward Pascal Siakam had four. "I think the ball movement was good and they were in the rhythm," Nembhard said. "A lot of times, when a lot of guys are touching it, the ball has a better energy to it." Some of the guys shooting it — especially Nembhard — already had a good energy. After making 29.1% of his 3s this season and making just 1-of-15 in the season's final five games, he made 11-of-22 against the Bucks, then drilled 5-of 6-on Sunday for 23 points. He hit two 3s in the fourth quarter that were both step-backs from 30 feet and beyond. Nembhard never hit more than two 3-pointers in a game this regular season. In the playoffs he's hit three or more in four of the six games and is shooting 57.1% from beyond the arc. He has 16 3-pointers in six playoff games, which matches the number he made in the last 20 games of the regular season. That contribution comes on top of what he does as a defender taking top perimeter assignments as he spent most of Sunday night guarding Mitchell. According to matchup data, Nembhard held Mitchell to two points on 1-of-10 shooting. "Drew is just doing what Drew does," Haliburton said. " Come playoff time, he's unbelievable. He's unbelievable all the time, especially defensively, but his lock-in level is just unbelievable right now. He's just doing a great job of letting the game come to him and stepping into shots with confidence." So is Nesmith, who was 4-of-6 from 3 and posted 17 points, eight rebounds and a remarkable block on a Mitchell 3-pointer that turned into one of his own 3s. He's averaging 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in the playoffs so far — well above his regular season averages of 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds — while making 55% of his field goals and 54.5% of his 3s (18-of-33). "I'm just trusting the work," Nesmith said, "knowing my rhythm, trusting my process and letting it fly." Nembhard and Nesmith represent the Pacers' connective tissue. They're no-maintenance, good-soldier types and their big plays tend to create infectious energy. They seemed to inspire Mathurin, who was 3-of-5 from 3-point range for 11 points and also had a massive block to stop Hunter on a fast-break attempt. It took a string of plays like that on both ends to stop the Cavs' run and to keep them from making another one, but the Pacers have enough experience now to put those together. "We fought," Nesmith said. "We withstood their runs. We had a run of our own. They made a run. We stopped the bleeding. We continued to chip and grind away and build a little lead back for ourselves again." The Cavaliers still feel confident and have plenty of reason to. They may get All-Star point guard Darius Garland back as soon as Game 2, they were 34-7 at home this year and never lost consecutive home games. But the Cavs also saw the value of the lessons the Pacers have learned over the past two seasons. "This is an experienced basketball team," Mitchell said. "They're not going to waver. They've been here before."
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Cavs shooting as well as anyone, expect ‘Cavalanches' in the forecast
CLEVELAND — The snow 'flurries' began fluttering down from the ceiling with 9:29 left to play in the first half Wednesday night. Four straight possessions with 3-pointers triggered the new gimmick the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eagerly waiting to unveil in these playoffs. The 'Cavalanche,' as it has affectionately come to be known in Cleveland, occurs when the Cavaliers bury an inferior opponent with a flurry of 3-pointers. It's witty and quite creative and has gained popularity throughout the season. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert loves such gimmicks and catchphrases, so now the Cavs' outbursts on the court are accompanied by fake snow in the arena and a snowball fight among cheerleaders. Advertisement But to appreciate how we got here is to understand how far the Cavaliers have traveled. Two years ago, they were outmuscled by a New York Knicks team that embarrassed them in five games. The Cavs had no response in large part because they lacked the necessary shooting to compete in today's pace-and-space league. They made just 50 3-pointers for the series. When the Orlando Magic took this team to seven games in the opening round last year, the Cavs managed 60 3s. They've already made 40 3-pointers through the first two games of this opening-round series against the Miami Heat. Their 22 3s in a 121-112 Game 2 victory Wednesday marked the sixth time in franchise history they made at least 20 3s in a playoff game. Adapt or die, right? Given where the Cavs were two years ago, and particularly last year with largely this same roster, they have adapted astonishingly well. They made more 3s in the second quarter Wednesday (11) than they did in five of their seven games against the Magic last year. PLAYOFF HISTORY FOR THE CAVS ‼️ This Spida 3 gives them 11 in the 2nd quarter… That's the MOST by any team in any postseason quarter in the play-by-play era (1997-98) 🤯 — NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2025 The Cavs can shoot it as well as any team in the league now for a variety of reasons: The development of Evan Mobley, Darius Garland's return to the elite, Ty Jerome's incredible transformation and, of course, Kenny Atkinson's offensive schemes. How much does matching the right coach to the talent matter? Draymond Green said in November that the Cavs are much harder to guard this year than they were last year. The last five months have proved him correct. When the Cavs are making 3s and closing out possessions defensively, they are nearly unbeatable. While defenses have to account for Donovan Mitchell, Garland and now Mobley on the offensive end, it's crippling when role players like Jerome and Sam Merrill are the ones bringing the snow. Jerome's 28 points in Game 1 were an unexpected surprise. Merrill's 3-pointer in the second quarter triggered the gimmick 'Cavalanche' during the timeout. Through two games, he has played more minutes in this series than DeAndre Hunter. OUR FIRST IN HOUSE CAVALANCHE! ☃️ YES IT SNOWS IN APRIL HERE IN CLEVELAND. #LetEmKnow — Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 24, 2025 Yet for all that has gone right, the Cavs still managed to squander most of a 19-point lead over the game's final 15 minutes. It was a one-possession game with three minutes to play because that's what the Heat excel at doing. Miami has provided small glimpses into ways to attack the Cavs, but the Heat don't have the necessary pieces to beat them four times in seven games. Advertisement Teams can hang around and beat Cleveland when the Cavs aren't making shots or they're not closing out possessions on the defensive end with rebounds. Mental and physical lapses are inevitable, even in the postseason. Shrinking the lapses is what separates good teams from championship contenders. Elite teams might stray for 3 or 4 minutes before pulling it back together. Young teams still trying to figure it out will fumble around a bit longer. The Heat do not boast much size, yet still managed to grab 18 of 21 rebounds during a 10-minute stretch that allowed them to climb back into the game. With players like Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the court for Cleveland, that should never happen. It's a coaching point Atkinson can use to keep their attention as this series shifts to South Beach. It's premature to declare that this Cavs team is all grown up, at least not until they do this on the road. The Cavs were up 2-0 on Orlando last year when the series shifted to Florida, and it still went seven games. Cleveland had to rally from 18 down in Game 7 to survive. Miami can still make this a series, but it's hard to find a path to four wins in the next 10 days. Adapt or die? The Cavs adapted both their scheme and personnel. The snow fluttering through the rafters was proof. The Cavalanche is headed to the beach. (Photo of Donovan Mitchell reacting after a 3-pointer: David Richard / Imagn Images)
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
NBA And NHL Playoffs Serve Up Fire-And-Ice Themed Concessions
Blue Line Nachos: Blue tortilla chips topped with white queso, chicken Tinga, pico de gallo, sour ... More cream, and pickled jalapeños. The NBA just wrapped one of its strongest attendance seasons to date, pulling in over 22.3 million fans across the regular season—second only to last year's record-breaking numbers. League-wide, games averaged 18,147 fans, with arenas filled to 97% capacity. Two-thirds of all matchups were sellouts, and 10 teams didn't have a single empty seat all year. Similarly, the NHL experienced record-breaking attendance, drawing over 23 million fans during the regular season, filling venues to 96.9% capacity. The momentum was fueled by THE GR8 CHASE, as Alex Ovechkin dethroned Wayne Gretzky atop the NHL's all-time scoring chart. These surges in attendance translate to significant revenue opportunities, particularly in concessions. Stadiums can generate up to $2 million per game from food and beverage sales, averaging about $30 per fan. The playoffs amplify this effect, as fans are more inclined to indulge in premium offerings, making limited-time, themed menu items not just culinary highlights but strategic revenue drivers. So it makes sense that Aramark Sports + Entertainment has rolled out fire-and-ice-themed concessions at three playoff venues that capture the drama unfolding on the court and ice. At Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home to the Cavaliers' playoff run, fans can dig into short rib nachos that bring legitimate heat. These aren't your average chips and cheese—they're layered with slow-braised meat, melted cheese, smashed avocado, and dueling salsas. The pickled Fresno chiles deliver the kind of burn that demands a drink, which is where the Cavalanche comes in. This cocktail blends tequila, blood orange sour mix, grapefruit soda, and fresh lime, making it potent enough to match the game-day tension. Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre embraces its icy identity with the Red Line Attack Nachos, served in a novelty hockey puck container. The nachos arrive topped with beef birria, black bean pico, and fried jalapeños, finished with an avocado poblano ranch that elevates the standard arena fare. To cool things down, fans can grab a Frostbite Mule, mixing vodka, cranberry, ginger beer, and lime. Frostbite Mule: House vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and ginger beer, garnished with lime and ... More cranberries. Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., offers perhaps the most playful interpretation of the theme. Their Great 8 Pretzel (an Ovechkin tribute) is meant for sharing, served alongside Old Bay crab dip and spicy cheese. The Blue Line Nachos maintain team spirit with color coordination: blue chips, white queso, and red pico. Buffalo wings with blue cheese crumbles round out the menu, honoring tradition amid the novelty. This trio of playoff menus embraces contrast and drama: hot and cold, expected and surprising, traditional and experimental. Some items will likely become fan favorites, while others might not make it past this postseason. But that's playoff food in a nutshell: sometimes over-the-top, occasionally inspired, and designed to be part of the memory rather than just a meal. Whether these themed concessions enhance the playoff experience or just provide Instagram fodder between periods remains to be seen. But they certainly prove that arena food doesn't have to play it safe when the games matter most.
