2018 Playoffs

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FOX Sports Indiana will re-air classic Pacers playoff games beginning next week.

The Pacers Classics schedule starts with the team's victories over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals, followed by three wins vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers from their memorable 2018 Eastern Conference First Round series.

FOX Sports Indiana's re-airs feature the original playoff telecast. The 2000 NBA Finals were originally broadcast by NBC.

In 2018, Game 1 at Cleveland aired on ABC. Games 3 and 6 were televised by FOX Sports Indiana, with Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner on the call.

Pacers Classics on FOX Sports IndianaTimes Eastern; schedule subject to change

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Classic Pacers Playoff Games Air Next Week on FOX Sports Indiana

indmboyle

I'm always sorry to see the season end, because it means that I'll be going months without doing something I still have a passion for after all these years. Still, there's always a silver lining involved, because the end of the season means I now have down time and can walk 518 miles across Indiana, participate in community theatre, do standup comedy, or broadcast minor league baseball, all of which I've done at one time or another with my summers.

I'm still sorry to see it end, but the silver lining isn't there this time. Oh, I'll find something to do with my time off – I always do – but I'm feeling a sense of loss that I've rarely, if ever, felt at the end of a season. We've had teams here that were better than this one was and advanced further in the playoffs than this one did, but I've never been around a group of guys like this. That's not to say we haven't had teams populated by good guys, or teams chock full of guys that I liked and admired, because we have. But to understand my appreciation for this group, you need to understand something that I think most fans aren't aware of, because they don't have access to this environment like we do.

A professional basketball team is made up of highly accomplished people, and part of the reason these people are so accomplished is that they're driven to succeed and have considerable egos. You don't get to be the best at anything if that's not a part of your DNA, and while those are essential traits, they can often become negatives if the people involved don't manage those egos and the individual agendas that often come with those egos. Throw in the inevitable personality conflicts that exist in any work environment, and I doubt that you'd be surprised if I told you that I've seen more than one team unravel due to such issues.

I'm not naïve enough to think this team didn't have egos and agendas; of course they did, just like we all do. But whatever those agendas were, you never saw them surface. I don't know this for a fact, but I'd be willing to bet you that there are guys on this team that don't like each other (true in any work place, no?). If so, you never saw it. These guys genuinely pulled for each other, even if it meant supporting someone that was taking minutes from somebody that thought he deserved them more. This team worked hard every night, and every day in practice (full disclosure: I was way too lazy to hit every practice, but I'll still stand by that statement), and competed as zealously as any team I've ever been around. There's a common misconception among casual fans that NBA players are motivated by money and lifestyle. Well, so what? Aren't most of us? But this group was as committed to winning as any team I've been around, and it was a commitment everybody up and down the roster shared, and that includes the coaches, who are all top shelf and didn't get nearly the credit they deserved for the work they did this season.

All of that is a rather long winded way of saying that I am really going to miss this team. I get the impression that management likes this mix, and a lot of these guys – perhaps even the majority – will be back next season. Still, the reality of the NBA is that no team ever returns entirely intact, and that means the mix will be different next season, if only slightly.

So no matter what harebrained project I come up with to get me through the summer (did I mention the summer I spent time as a coffee barista? Or the time I delivered pizzas and worked in a tire store?), the memory of this team is going to stay with me for a long, long time, and I'm grateful to have been around a bunch of people that were so professional, likeable, and even inspiring. I am a cynic by nature, but because of these guys I find myself just a bit less cynical than I was last August.

This team made 2017-2018 the most memorable season of my career.

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Boyle: Reflections on a Special Season

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The Pacers showed as much resolve, chemistry and effort as any team in franchise history this season but ultimately lacked two things in their playoff series with Cleveland: The experience needed to deal with such an "ultimate" game and the means of dealing with the NBA's ultimate player, LeBron James.

They flew back to Indianapolis Sunday evening, their season ended by a 105-101 loss in Game 7 of their first-round series at Quicken Loans Arena. Slightly more poise, a few more rebounds, a couple more shots and, yes, another favorable whistle or two, and they would have flown to Toronto instead, to begin a second-round series with the Raptors on Tuesday.

They have much to be proud of, having surpassed expectations by a wider margin than any team in franchise history during the regular season, but they have much to think about and work on, too. The playoff series proved that.

"I wouldn't trade this year for (anything) or the men in that locker room for anyone," Victor Oladipo said in the postgame press conference. "It was an honor to play alongside those gentlemen and I look forward to playing with them next year."

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Oladipo, who patched together his fourth superlative performance of the series with 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals, will return as the go-to guy and spiritual leader on what figures to be a promising team that should be better for the experience gained from Sunday's game.

That's what it came down to, experience. Well, sure, James, too. He was everything he had to be in this game, with 45 points on 16-of-25 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. But he also had more help than in any game of the series. Proven help.

Facing the potential embarrassment of playoff elimination on their home court, the Cavs went with their most veteran lineup possible — "the guys who have been in big games before," as James put it in an on-court interview following the game. That meant Tristan Thompson starting at center despite barely playing in the first six games, along with JR Smith and Kevin Love.

All four of them had started on Cleveland's championship team two years ago, and its runner-up team last season. Kyle Korver, an important reserve on last season's Finals team, filled out the starting lineup.

Late Friday night, with Love knocked woozy and James wearing a bandage over his left eye at the end of a 34-point Pacers' victory, the Cavs looked like a team fraying at the edges, on the verge of a major breakup. But then on Sunday afternoon, they looked a lot like the team that won a championship just two years ago.

Players like those weren't afraid of a first-round Game 7 on their home court. The Pacers, meanwhile, needed time to adjust, not only to Thompson's sudden appearance in the starting lineup, but to the moment. They missed their first six shots — five of them 3-pointers — to fall behind 9-2 and were down 14 early in the second period.

They came back, as they nearly always do, taking the lead for nearly a minute late in the third quarter. Escape acts tend not to end as happily in the playoffs as in the regular season, however, as the Pacers proved in each of their four losses in the series. They made comebacks in each one but couldn't finish the job with James in the game. In fact, they couldn't even take advantage when James wasn't in the game on Sunday. He sat out the last minute of the third period and the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth because of leg cramps, but the Cavs extended their lead from one point to eight during that stretch.

The Pacers simply didn't make game-winning plays when they had to be made, and the Cavs did. The fourth quarter provided a tidy summary. There was Domantas Sabonis fouling George Hill's 3-point shot at the start of the period, a perplexing habit of the Pacers all season. There was a bogged-down offense coughing up poor shots, such as Lance Stephenson's step-back 3-point attempt and Thaddeus Young's running, awkward off-hand shot in the lane. There was Bojan Bogdanovic, who hit just 1-of-6 3-pointers in the game and struggled more than ever to contain James, fumbling a simple pass on the perimeter with three minutes remaining. There was Darren Collison, who played well with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, missing a wide-open 3-pointer when the Pacers trailed by six points with two minutes left, after Sabonis passed up a layup or dunk to throw him the ball.

Inexperience reigned through those moments.

It seemed the Pacers had the better team heading into this game, but that judgment was based on Thompson and Hill, who had missed the previous three games with a sore back, not being factors. It also was based on James being at least semi-human some of the time, but he wasn't. He scored 46, 32, 44, and 45 points in the Cavs' four victories, hitting 62 percent of his shots. He also led the Cavs in rebounding, assists, and steals in the series.

Sometimes a team simply must tip its collective cap to a great performer. And, sometimes a fan base must appreciate a team even after its eliminated from the playoffs.

The Pacers were essentially a first-year team for the third consecutive season, with seven first-year players on their playoff roster. They won 48 regular season games, at least 15 more than generally expected, and were entertaining throughout for their vigor and vibe. Still, improvements must be made, both individually and with the makeup of the roster, before they're able to handle moments such as those encountered on Sunday.

They have something to build from, at least, which feels different than a year ago when they were swept in the first round by the Cavs. They opened this season with more uncertainty than promise, but have flipped that balance.

"We learned a lot about ourselves and I learned a lot about myself," Oladipo said. "We just have to get better."

Ultimately, that's the bottom line to their season.

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Mark Montieth's book, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," covers the formation and early seasons of the franchise. It is available at retail outlets throughout Indiana and online at sources such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

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Pacers Come Up Short, But Coming On

Wheat Hotchkiss

Pacers fans won't soon forget the 2017-18 team.

Almost every expert pegged them as a lottery team prior to the season, but somehow, they won 48 games and went toe to toe with the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers for seven games in the first round of the playoffs.

Even in their 105-101 loss in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, they showcased their trademark resilience. Indiana rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit on the road, taking the lead midway through the third quarter and briefly silencing the sellout crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.

But in the end, they did not have quite enough to overcome another otherworldly performance by LeBron James, who finished 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Cavaliers to the second round, where they will face the top-seeded Toronto Raptors.

Nonetheless, throughout the seven-games series, the Pacers did exactly what they had already done during the regular season — they left it all on the floor every night and they never gave in, all the way up until the final buzzer.

"If y'all don't respect the Indiana Pacers now, I have no respect for you," Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo said after the game. "That's just how I feel. Nobody thought we were going to be here. No one. Not one person but us in the locker room. I feel like we've earned our respect from everyone."

They certainly earned it from James, who went out of his way to praise the Pacers in his postgame press conference.

"Kudos and a big shout out to the Indiana Pacers, first of all," James said. "They were tough. A tough team.

"Obviously they have the head of the snake in Vic (who) made an unbelievable jump from last year to this year. We all saw it and he proved why he's a franchise-caliber player. And everybody on down, they've just got a well-rounded team and definitely pushed us to the brink."

After losing by 34 points in Game 6, Cleveland changed up its starting lineup for Game 7. For the first time all series, head coach Tyronn Lue started Tristan Thompson at center. Thompson replaced point guard Jose Calderon, giving the Cavs a bigger look with James running the point.

The Pacers got off to a slow start, missing their first five shots — all of them coming from beyond the 3-point arc. A pair of free throws by Darren Collison provided Indiana's only points in the first four minutes as the Cavs jumped out to a 9-2 lead.

Thompson, meanwhile, made an early impact on the interior for Cleveland. The 6-9, 238-pound big man played the first 10:46 of the first quarter and racked up six points and seven rebounds (two of them offensive).

"I didn't know he was starting until they announced it," Pacers center Myles Turner said. "He was big on the glass and made some big shots."

At the same time, James was his usual brilliant self, making all five of his attempts in the first quarter on his way to 13 points. Cleveland led by as many as 13 in the opening frame and took a 31-19 lead into the second quarter.

The Cavs extended their lead to 14 points in the second quarter before the Pacers mounted a charge. Playing a three-guard lineup with Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Oladipo, Indiana reeled off 10 unanswered points to climb back into the game.

Lance Stephenson replaced Joseph shortly thereafter and the Cavs went right at him, posting up James on Stephenson for five straight possessions. Cleveland scored on all five of those possessions — the first two off James assists and the last three off James baskets — to go on a 12-4 run.

They maintained a double-digit advantage for the rest of the half, taking a 54-43 lead into the locker room.

"They just kind of jumped on us," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said of the first half. "We've been able to recover in previous games, but they did a really good job."

Cleveland scored the first two points of the second half, but the Pacers scored the next nine to quickly make it a four-point game. Back-to-back threes by Young and Bojan Bogdanovic shortly therafter gave Indiana its first lead of the game at 59-58 with 7:12 left in the third.

The Pacers briefly extended their lead to three points before the Cavs moved back in front, taking the lead for good on James' dunk with 4:22 left in the frame.

James exited the game for the first time with a minute left in the third quarter and headed to Cleveland's locker room with minor cramps. He was not on the bench for the start of the fourth quarter, but returned from the locker room in the first minute of the final frame.

Even without their star to open the fourth, the Cavs were able to extend their lead in the opening minutes, thanks to three free throws from George Hill and a 3-pointer by Kevin Love.

James returned with 8:25 to play and Cleveland leading, 86-79. Cleveland quickly stretched the margin to 12, thanks to two more Hill free throws and another three by Love.

The hosts kept the Blue & Gold at arm's length for the next several minutes, but Indiana mounted a final charge. After slowly clawing away at their deficit, the Pacers made it a 100-96 game on Oladipo's layup with 50.1 seconds remaining.

But on the ensuing possession, James dished to Kyle Korver on the wing, who found a cutting James for the game-sealing layup with 30.2 seconds to play.

"They won the series," Collison said. "You've got to give them credit. LeBron was amazing. Some of their guys stepped up in a big-time game."

Oladipo led Indiana with 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals and was excellent throughout the second half, scoring 25 of his points over the final two quarters.

Collison, meanwhile, scored 17 of his 23 points in the first half. Young added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, while Domantas Sabonis chipped in 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Thompson, who had just a total of three points and six rebounds in just 23 total minutes over the first six games of the series, finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes for Cleveland.

Love added 14 points — eight of them coming during a pivotal stretch early in the fourth quarter — and six rebounds.

Hill did not play in the first half and had missed the previous three games due to back spasms, but played 19:12 in the second half and finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He went 9-for-11 from the free throw line.

"Unfortunately, it ended a little sour, but I wouldn't trade this year for (anything) or the men in that locker room for anyone," Oladipo said.

"It's been a phenomenal year. I left it all out there, we left it all out there...It was an honor to play alongside those gentlemen and I look forward to growing with them in the future."

Oladipo scored 30 points for the second time in the series (he had 32 in Game 1). And though he had just two regular season games with double-digit rebounds, Oladipo recorded 12 or more boards in each of the last three games against the Cavs.

The Pacers outscored Cleveland 44-30 in the paint on Sunday and won that stat category in all seven games of the series.

The Cavaliers had just one turnover at halftime, but Indiana forced them into 10 giveaways in the second half.

James topped 40 points for the third time this series. Cleveland won all three of those games, including Game 2 (when he scored 46) and Game 5 (when he scored 44). His 45 points on Sunday were the second-most in a Game 7 win in NBA playoff history, trailing only Sam Jones, who scored 47 for the Celtics in a Game 7 victory in 1963.

Thompson's double-double was his first since Feb. 9 against Atlanta.

"You know, now you're trying to defend LeBron. At times, you're sending double teams. You're trying to cover the perimeter and now you got Thompson in there, in the middle, who is just aggressive. You need two guys so it puts a lot of pressure on the defense when you're trying to help in other areas and Tristan is on the boards, pounding you, giving them extra opportunities." -Pacers head coach Nate McMillan on how Thompson starting impacted Game 7

"There's a lot of positives about this about this season, about this series that we can hang out hats on. But we just feel like we missed the opportunity to win this series." -Collison

"It was a great year, but honestly I feel like I haven't even really scratched the surface of what I can be." -Oladipo

"There is no group of guys I'd rather be around. This has been an amazing season for us as a team. Nobody expected us to be at this point, where we won 48 games in the regular seasons and take Cleveland to seven. But the resiliency of this team and us fighting through adversity, it speaks to our character, our professionalism, and us as basketball players." -Young

"After Game 6, I looked at Bron (LeBron James), Swish (J.R. Smith) and K Love (Kevin Love) and said, 'You know, we've been through this before. We've been to Game 7s. We know what it takes. So the new guys are going to look at us, so we’ve got to come out ready to play.'" -Thompson

"I'm burnt right now. I'm not thinking about Toronto right now until tomorrow. I'm ready to go home." -James

Including Sunday, when they outscored the Cavaliers by seven points after halftime, the Pacers outscored Cleveland by a total of 56 points in the second half over the course of the series.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 101, Cavaliers 105 (Game 7)

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Pacers 101, Cavaliers 105 (Game 7)

The Pacers left Saturday for a business trip that might cover portions of two days in one city or might go on for six days in two cities. That's what the NBA playoffs are all about: adjusting on the fly.

Should the Pacers lose Game 7 of their first-round series in Cleveland on Sunday they'll return home, frustrated but unashamed of a season that easily surpassed general expectations. If they win, they'll fly on to Toronto to prepare for Game 1 of a second-round series on Tuesday, filled with satisfaction for putting those expectations even farther in the rear-view mirror.

It's just one day and one game at Quicken Loans Arena, but it qualifies as the biggest moment of the careers for most of the players on a team that's still figuring things out as it goes. Expectations have risen as the series has evolved and the Pacers have looked more and more like the better team, so just making the playoffs doesn't seem enough.

All along, coach Nate McMillan has said this season is about the front office and him finding out what they have, where they stand, and what they'll need for future seasons. But he's also seeing a team growing before his very eyes, and never looking more adult than in Friday's 34-point victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse when it forced the ultimate game of the series.

"Tomorrow will be another test," McMillan said following Saturday's practice at St. Vincent Center. "I thought they passed the test (Friday) night. All the things we asked them to do and the challenges we threw out to them, they passed that test. Now we're in Game 7. It's the first time for me and this group. We'll see how we respond to that."

The Pacers are 3-5 in the seventh game of a playoff series in their NBA history, 2-5 on the road. This particular matchup, however, offers legitimate optimism for Sunday's game. Their victories have come by 18, 2, and 34 points. Their losses have come by 3, 4, and 3 points. They have won 15 of the 24 quarters through six games and have shot better from the field and 3-point line, accumulated more rebounds, assists, and steals and committed fewer turnovers.

Beyond that, they are younger, healthier, better balanced, deeper, and seemingly more united than Cleveland. Then again, they will not be playing at home and they don't have LeBron James, the series leader in scoring (32.7), rebounding (10.3), assists (7.8), and blocked shots (1.2).

Logic would indicate the Cavs' best hope on Sunday is for James to win the game by himself and treat his teammates like decoys. He scored 46, 32 and 44 points in their three victories, getting to the basket nearly at will. That will be the Pacers' primary challenge on Sunday and was one of the tests that passed on Friday.

They have been throwing multiples defenders at James to give him different looks, starting with Bojan Bogdanovic and continuing with Thaddeus Young, Lance Stephenson, and Trevor Booker. They have tried to make him shoot from the perimeter over outstretched hands and bring help into the foul lane when he drives – a "tight paint" in McMillan's terminology – but still recover to the other 3-point shooters.

The Pacers are 9-7 all-time in the seventh game of a playoff series — 3-5 in the NBA and 6-2 in the ABA.

They did all of that well on Friday, limiting James to 22 points in a 31-minute appearance shortened by the one-sided nature of the game, and limiting James' teammates to 9-of-32 3-point shooting.

"We are figuring out their different schemes and ways to guard them, and we're making adjustments through the course of games," Young said. "(Assistant coach Dan Burke) is devising a great plan for the defensive side of things and we're going out there and following through."

The Pacers' offense will rely heavily on Victor Oladipo, although not as much for his scoring as his efficiency. Oladipo has scored 32, 18, and 28 points in the Pacers' victories, but 22, 17, and 12 points in their losses. He's hit 51 percent of his field goal attempts in the wins, 30 percent in the losses.

He believes, and McMillan agrees, that it's been mostly a matter of hitting shots some nights and not others. But aggression plays a crucial role in his performances. When he's grabbing rebounds on defense, as he did 12 times on Friday, and initiating a fastbreak, the Cavs can't keep up. When he's attacking the basket as he did on Friday, particularly on two dunk attempts (one of which failed but nobody minded), the Cavs can't stop him.

Indirectly, he was the primary reason the Pacers outscored Cleveland 35-12 on fastbreak points and 58-32 in the paint on Friday, an advantage even James seems unlikely to singlehandedly overcome.

"We did a great job of setting our pace," Oladipo said Saturday. "We need to build on that in Game 7."

Much of Game 7's result will come down to poise. Who has it, and who doesn't. James has been in far more pressure-packed situations than this one, but it will be a new experience for many of the players. It also will be new for both of these teams, who were put together this season – in the Cavs case, at the February trade deadline.

Predicting the direction of the game's outcome, and the Pacers' postgame flight plan, is fraught with peril. The Pacers, however, have talked and walked confidently all season, and haven't stopped yet. Nobody is guaranteeing wins or making pronouncements, but this much is clear: they all took their passports to Cleveland, in case they're needed to get into Canada Sunday evening.

"It's going to be like a war zone," Oladipo said. "Looking forward to going to war."

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Pacers Adjusting On the Fly, with Passports In Hand

It all comes down to this. After splitting six games in a back-and-forth, physical first-round series, the Pacers and Cavaliers will meet one final time on Sunday afternoon in a winner-take-all Game 7 in Cleveland.

For Indiana, it will be their second straight game facing elimination, but if Friday's performance is any indication, they should be up for the challenge. The Pacers delivered a major statement on Friday, rolling to a 34-point win in Game 6 in front of a partisan crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The most encouraging part of Friday's victory was the play of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who busted out of a three-game slump in a major way. After only connecting on 12-of-50 shots in Games 3-5, Oladipo was simply brilliant in Game 6. He went 11-for-19 from the field and 6-for-8 from the 3-point line on his way and recorded a triple-double, tallying 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists (plus four steals on the defensive end).

With the season on the line, Oladipo came out with an aggressive mentality, attacking the rim and finishing with power instead of finesse, throwing down three dunks. It will be important for the former Indiana University All-American to keep the same mindset in Game 7.

On the other end, the Cavaliers are the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions, but this year's team is clearly more flawed than those past squads that cruised to the NBA Finals. LeBron James has been otherworldly throughout this series, but he isn't getting much help.

Fellow All-Star Kevin Love has had a terrible postseason, averaging 11.0 points (6.6 below his season average) and shooting just 32.4 percent from the field. That's a credit to the Pacers' defense, primarily Thaddeus Young.

With Cleveland facing elimination and James eligible for free agency this summer, speculation has already begun that Sunday could be the four-time MVP's final game with the Cavs.

On the other side, Indiana — almost universally tabbed as a lottery team in preseason predictions — finds itself in position to, as Oladipo himself put it, "shock the world." In a season that has far exceeded outside expectations, the Pacers are on the verge of taking down the King.

Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles TurnerCavaliers: PG - Jose Calderon, SG - JR Smith, SF - Kyle Korver, PF - LeBron James, C - Kevin Love

Cavaliers: George Hill - questionable (back spasms)

April 27, 2018: Not only did the Pacers stave off elimination, they thoroughly dominated the Cavs in a 121-87 Game 6 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana led by 10 points and halftime, then outscored Cleveland 35-20 in the third quarter to put the game away.

"We were better connected on both ends of the floor," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought the defense was connected. We were solid offensively. We moved the ball, attacked the basket and pretty much played that way for the 48 minutes."

Victor Oladipo led the way by recording the third playoff triple-double in Pacers NBA franchise history, but seven Pacers players finished in double figures in the win. All five starters scored at least 10 points, as did Domantas Sabonis (19 points and six rebounds) and Lance Stephenson (12 points and six assists off the bench).

LeBron James led Cleveland with 22 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. He did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

Should the Pacers win Game 7 and advance to the second round, an on-sale time for second-round tickets will be announced shortly after the game. Sign Up for VIP Access to Playoff Tickets »

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: ABC - Mike Breen (play-by-play), Jeff Van Gundy (analyst), Mark Jackson (analyst), Doris Burke (sideline reporter)
FOX Sports Indiana - Postgame show only with Jeremiah Johnson and Eddie Gill reporting from Cleveland and Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner hosting from Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Radio: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

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Game Preview: Pacers at Cavaliers (Game 7)

He never lets on. Never lets you in. Never drops the veil of take-it-one-game-at-a-time-and-learn-from-it-and-move-on to reveal human traits of frustration, doubt, joy, or redemption.

Thus, there's no backstory to report on Victor Oladipo's performance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Friday, when he did what only two other Pacers in the franchise's NBA history have done: record a triple-double in a playoff game. Coming off three games unworthy of an All-Star, when he hit just 12-of-50 field goal attempts, he put together what surely was the best game of his career with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals in the Pacers' 121-87 victory over Cleveland.

And now they're off to Cleveland for Game 7 of this dramatic first-round series on Sunday, with a chance to shock the majority of the NBA world with a victory that would eliminate LeBron James and the Cavaliers but wouldn't, they insist, shock themselves at all.

Forget about latching on to the role of underdog, playing with nothing to lose, trying to heap all the pressure on Cleveland. They have something else in mind.

"We're going in with the mentality to win, more than anything," Myles Turner said. "Our mentality is to win Game 7 and get ready for the next round. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we're confident."

Oladipo's confidence was the story of the Game 6 victory. He never lost it, he would tell you, despite the shooting slump and the difficulty contending with the Cavs' double-teaming defenses earlier in the series, and maybe that's true. But it would be nice if he could tell you about a turning point — a pep talk, a counseling session, a superstition, a revelation of any kind — that helped him shake off that dreadful 12-of-50 over the previous three games and helped him hit 11-of-19 shots — including 6-of-8 3-pointers — in the one on Friday.

He offered no such storyline, however. He never does.

"Nah," he said. "Just went out there and played. Did everything with confidence. Didn't overthink it. Just played. Read and react."

Pacers coach Nate McMillan had offered a hint of an angle before the game when he said he had told Oladipo to be more aggressive going to the basket. James' block of his driving layup on the Pacers' last possession in Game 5, a play the NBA later admitted should have been rules goaltending, could have been avoided if Oladipo had been able to dunk the ball.

Oladipo made an impressive two-handed dunk attempt on a drive to the basket in the third quarter but banged the ball off the back of the rim. He was successful five possessions later, when he blew past JR Smith and dunked over James, giving the Pacers an 84-66 lead.

"Just made the play that's there," Oladipo said. "Whatever play it is. Just trying to do whatever I can, whatever I need to do to help this team win. If that means I need to finish strong I try to finish strong."

OK, whatever. That's Oladipo for you. He's usually pretty lively in postgame locker room, especially after victories. Music blares from his wireless speaker, which he takes into the shower area like a kid carrying a teddy bear, he often stops to kibitz with teammates during their interviews, and sometimes he makes weird noises just for the sake of making weird noises.

Put him before the media in a postgame press conference, though, and he becomes a buttoned-down, stone-faced sculpture who says next to nothing of interest, and certainly nothing that might inspire an opponent. Of course, that doesn't mean he won't be cutting up with his teammates when he hits the locker room at St. Vincent Center the next morning.

That consistency, that control of his emotions, has served Oladipo well this season, carrying him through his own version of "the process," in which he's learning to bear the all-star's burden of dealing with an opponent's custom-made defense.

"One thing about Victor, he remains the same," Darren Collison said. "Whether he's playing well or not, he's the first person to scream in the mornings.

"You don't like it," Collison added with a laugh, "but he's himself. He doesn't change his personality because of a bad game. As players we all know. We've all been there before."

Collison included. He had averaged 8.5 points on 35 percent shooting in the first five games of this series. He also had hit just 4-of-16 3-pointers, conduct unbecoming of the NBA's best 3-point shooter (.468) during the regular season. Friday, he was back to his old self, at least his regular-season self, by hitting 6-of-9 shots and 3-of-4 3-pointers.

He didn't mind admitting he had to take a different mindset into the game. Focused on defense throughout the season, he decided to become a little more, dare we say, selfish.

"I tried to be more assertive tonight," he said. "When I focus on the defensive end, I tend to forget about myself on the offensive end. Tonight, I felt like, How about you look for yourself more? Be more aggressive and make some of those plays that we need.

"I don't think people understand, it's not easy pressuring the ball, especially at this age (30). Sometimes it takes away from you at the offensive end. I just told myself, This is it, you've got to do it at both ends of the floor."

The Pacers did just that on Friday. For the first time in the series, put together the sort of collective effort that made them one of the most surprising teams in the NBA. They dominated the Cavs, with an offense featuring seven players in double figures and another with nine and a frantic defense that forced the Cavs into 42 percent shooting and even limited James to a mortal 22 points.

That's what gives them confidence for Sunday's ultimate grand finale.

"It's going to be very emotional but we're looking forward to the challenge," Oladipo said.