Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs. Pacers, Game 5 (#KeepIt100)

If the Cavaliers want to do Whatever It Takes to win Game 5, to take a commanding lead in this see-saw series with the Indiana Pacers… they really only need to focus on one thing… scoring in the triple digits. As we’ve seen thus far, if all the Cavs had done in the first four games was Keep It 100… the series could already have been over (or at worst featured an overtime game). That’s right, the team that gave up an average of 109.9 points per game during the rocky road of the regular season, has been downright stingy in allowing an average of 96.7 to the Pacers thus far. They only gave up a hundo in Game 4, but it was exactly the century mark and no more.

Unfortunately, the same high-octane offense the Cavs ran in the first 82 games (good for 110.9 ppg), has also gotten tremendously bogged down by the Indy defense and it’s own weirdly plodding pace of play, averaging just 93.5 points per contest. Both victories have 100 in common… even though it’s only been just that or barely more than that. Still, this benchmark is key for the wine & gold. Very simply, if they continue to play defense at the level they’ve achieved in the first quartet of games… they just need to Keep It 100.

To do this, however, they need to keep their energy level, focus and determination also at 100%. That shouldn’t need to mean LeBron James playing all 48 minutes (or 46, or 44 or even 42). It should mean that the Cavs are getting contributions from other guys, as they did on Sunday. George Hill has been ruled 100% out again for this game, so 100 year old Jose Calderon (sorry, jk Jose!) will have to bear the starting PG burden once again. The Cavs should also expect Lance Stephenson to keep his antics at 100… so, perhaps a well-timed Angry Smurf elbow should be in his future (just sayin’).

Per usual, I won’t make an exact prediction… other than to say that I expect the Cavs to Keep It 100, which should be enough to edge the Pacers.

Catch all the action starting at 7pm EST on TNT… and as always chime in here!