Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Pick & Prediction APRIL 10th 2025
Preview and Prediction
The scorching Indiana Pacers are on the hunt for their fifth consecutive victory on Thursday, as they prepare to host a Cleveland Cavaliers team that has been the dominant force in the Eastern Conference throughout the season.
The Cavaliers (63-16) secured the No. 1 seed in the East after defeating the Chicago Bulls 135-113 on Tuesday. If Cleveland manages to win their remaining three regular-season games, they will equal the franchise record of 66 wins, which was set by the 2008-09 team led by LeBron James.
"I believe these moments should be celebrated," stated Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson. "We started off strong and got ahead early. We faced some challenges this past month, but I am extremely proud of the team and the organization. It's not easy to win 63 games in this league, or to secure the top seed. We all know that."
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While matching the franchise record for wins would be a nice accomplishment, it is not the team's top priority. With the first seed already secured, Cleveland may choose to rest their star players for one or more of their remaining games.
"It will be a collaborative decision," Atkinson explained. "The players will have a say in this - I will talk to all of them. They won't lose their fitness, right? They won't become out of shape. I'm not worried about that. It's more about maintaining their rhythm."
The Pacers (48-31) also have a strong motivation to win their remaining games. If they are successful and the Knicks lose their last three games, Indiana will secure the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. This would mean facing the up-and-coming Detroit Pistons, who have not made the playoffs since 2019, instead of the likely No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks, who have recent NBA championship experience.
Indiana is coming off a 104-98 victory against the low-ranking Washington Wizards on Tuesday, with Pascal Siakam leading the way with a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double. Tyrese Haliburton also contributed 22 points and seven assists, but was on the receiving end of a highlight-reel crossover by Washington rookie Bub Carrington.
Siakam's return to the court was a welcome sight after he missed the Pacers' 125-120 win over the Nuggets on Sunday.
"He played an exceptional all-around game," praised Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. "But the beauty of his game is that it's a subtle greatness that he possesses. He is always crucial to our team's success. He is consistently reliable and, you know, winning in Denver without him was a big accomplishment for us because it allowed him to have three much-needed days of rest."
Siakam leads the Pacers in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Haliburton leads Indiana and ranks third in the NBA with 9.6 assists per game, although this is down from his league-leading 10.9 assists per game last season.
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Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring with an average of 24 points per game, while his backcourt partner and fellow All-Star Darius Garland averages 20.6 points and a team-high 6.7 assists per game.
Cleveland also boasts a formidable frontcourt. Evan Mobley averages 18.6 points per game and is known for his dominant presence as one of the league's top interior defenders. His partner-in-crime, Jarrett Allen, averages 13.8 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds per game.
Cleveland vs. Indiana Recap DEC 31TH 2020
Bojan Bogdanovic led a balanced Indiana offense with 23 points and the Indiana Pacers on Saturday defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 105-90.
Bogdanovic scored more than 20 points for the fifth game out of six as the Pacers won for the fifth straight time.
Cory Joseph came off the bench to finish with 10 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Domantas Sabonis didn't score in the first half, but finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, also off the bench
Jordan Clarkson led Cleveland with 18 points.
A day after seeing his first action in 50 games, Cleveland's Kevin Love did not play.
The Pacers dodged a bullet when Myles Turner suffered a right knee injury early in the third period when he blocked a dunk attempt by Marquese Chriss. Turner left the game in serious pain, received treatment and returned with 4:29 left in the quarter.
The return of the league's leading shot blocker sparked the Pacers and denied the Cavs a chance to cut the deficit to single digits. With the Pacers leading 68-57, Turner blocked Ante Zizic's dunk attempt, and Darren Collison's 18-foot jumper and Domantas Sabonis' layup put Indiana back up by 15.
The Pacers avenged a 92-91 home loss in December to the Cavaliers when Larry Nance Jr.'s tip in snapped Indiana's seven-game win streak
Indiana led for all but 12 seconds of Saturday's game. A 3-pointer by Chriss put Cleveland up 5-4. Turner's 3-pointer gave the Pacers the lead for good at the 10:02 mark and ignited a 16-4 run that gave the Pacers a 20-9 lead.
Even though the Pacers led by as many as 17 points in the first half and shot 59 percent, the Cavs trailed by only 12 at intermission because of their 3-point shooting. Cleveland shot only 37.5 percent (16 of 41) from the field but did make 7 of 19 from beyond the arc.
Turner had the hot hand for Indiana in the first quarter, scoring 12 points, including connecting on two 3-pointers before seeing a string of seven straight made attempts from beyond the arc end when his shot from 28 feet was off the mark with under two minutes left in the period.