Could Game 2 be a LEGACY GAME for Donovan Mitchell? | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Could Game 2 be a LEGACY GAME for Donovan Mitchell? | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

All right, let’s get to our, uh, next topic here, guys. The NBA playoffs are in full swing. Every night delivers highlight worthy performances, major momentum shifts and can’t miss moments. Whether it’s a game winning shot or a breakout player, there’s never been a better time to get in on the action. Fan makes it easy to stay in the game before tipoff and live with player props. trends and same game parlays. Fans have more ways than ever to play smart and win big. If you’re new to FanDuel, it’s the perfect time to sign up. You can head to FanDuel.com/UCSS and place your 1st $5 bet. If it wins, you get $200 bonus bets. Make every moment more with FanDuel, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. We taught Cavs to start the show, guys. We know a lot of the Cavs key players are at least questionable for tonight. It has come out since we did our first Cavs stop at that Darius Garland was seen running on a treadmill. However, Hunter and Mobley were nowhere to be found during shoot around. That could simply be the Cavs not showing their hand beforehand. They could be getting treatment, not worth looking too far into, but I wanted to ask you guys this question. We do know Donovan is going to play tonight. He is technically dealing with a lower leg calf ankle injury but he is playing tonight. Could this be a legacy game for Donovan with the Cavs’ backs against the wall, down potentially two or three other key contributors? He’s put up some monster performances in the playoffs before. Think about last year against Orlando, 50 points. Could this, could tonight, game two be a legacy performance for Donovan? 100%, guys. He’s got to be a monster tonight. I don’t want to hear about. We, we all love the moving the ball, but this is the playoffs. He down 1-0. Everybody’s banged up on this team. Donovan Mitchell. I don’t see how they could possibly win without him having an all-time game. I agree, right? I mean, what other option is there? Mobley’s in bad shape. We don’t know if he’s gonna play. We don’t know if Garland’s gonna play. We don’t know if Hunter’s gonna play. Their only chance is Donovan taking over and being an absolute superstar. This is one of those games where that’s where the money, that’s what the money is for, you know, you, you, you go off and say that you’re one of the best in the NBA. You know, we see, and the crazy thing about Cavs fans is we’ve seen it before. G just brought up LeBron did it by itself. I mean, we watched the, we watched LeBron take a team to the finals that had no business being there by himself. If you are that guy, which you’ve shown that you can be, you have to be that in this moment, and yes, you’re not feeling 100. Nobody in the playoffs at this point probably filling 100%, but you have to find a way to get it done. If it takes 70 points, then that’s what you gotta do. And if you can do that, like you, you ain’t passing LeBron, but I mean you, you, I can hear the Kyria talk now. I can hear you over Kyrie. I, I, we can get there. Listen, this is. Man, I’d be so sincere about this stuff, man. I’ll be getting, I’ll be getting fired up. I’m like, man, this, I just wanna be, I would be in that locker room looking around. I just wanna look at people. He’s supposed to go in there and say, Listen, I need one roll, dog. — Who rolling
— with me? That’s it. I just need one. I need one. — Who gonna
— roll? Jared Allen. What’s up? J JA you talk about legacy game. This is a legacy game for Jared Allen. What you talking about? Evan Mobley is gone. I seen, I seen before the game. That’s real nice, man. Hey, hey, he was sitting up there clapping it up for, uh, uh, you know, Evan Mobley when he got his Defensive Player of the Year award. Nah, bro, come on, Jared. You, you are, you are a guy. You’re not as talented as Mobley, but you can do some of the same things. I need you running the court. I need you being physical. I need you to be intimidating. I need you to be. — Now don’t act like you
— did like listen, we need a couple of them. We need a couple of them tonight. So I’m looking at Donovan, but when it comes to Donovan Mitchell, the intensity is what I’m looking for immediately because they’re gonna try to look at you in terms of, hey guys, this is, I’m looking at Donovan in terms of, hey, we not going out, we gotta, we gotta swing first, we’re not going out like that. This is how we’re gonna have to set the tone and also Max Strus, hm. Bro, you was part of a team that had no business going to the finals. How did y’all do it? You wouldn’t, you wouldn’t miss. Max Strus was out here balling. There’s still guys left on this team that ain’t gonna get it done. 7 points to a 9. I like the rebounds, no, no, no, no. You’re gonna need to, you got to play defense as hard as you have ever played it. I’m telling these guys today, don’t, and by the way, stop with all the guys, don’t, don’t panic. I people that be sitting there and telling me don’t panic. I don’t know if y’all played or not. Ain’t no dope plan ain’t we ain’t panicking. We talk about sense of urgency. It’s two different things. Like when you go in there and you’re looking at these guys, you can’t go down you cannot go down. You gotta be desperate tonight, desperate like especially because of the injuries, thirsty because you need this, yeah, uh, by the way. I, uh, scrolling mindlessly through Instagram yesterday, uh, reels, I, I saw two of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen about basketball. Which one of these is a dumber statement? One guy said, Since the 80s that LeBron is the only the 6th best player in the NBA. Another guy, another guy said Luka Dacic is the 12th best player in the NBA currently, currently. Which one is er is LeBron, I mean, you could, you could kind of squint and be like, it’s hard to get Luca past 10, but if you want to just start throwing names up there, you can make an argument. But the LeBron thing since the 80s is wild. He said Michael obviously, Magic, Bird, Kobe. Steph Curry, no, we had him set, uh, maybe it was Steph Curry and then he had LeBron 6. It might have even been somebody else, bro, Larry Bird is not better than nothing at than LeBron. He’s not better at anything, not one single thing than LeBron. No, go look at the splits. Go look at the splits. Who had more threes, LeBron. Who shoots a better percentage? LeBron player though. I don’t that means he has a lot more missing. I’m talking about the field goal percentages. I have a crucial. But but here’s one thing I can say about LeBron that was correct. In 20 2018 is last year with Larry Nance Junior, uh uh uh Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, uh, uh, uh, these guys had Kevin Love, they had JR Smith. What’s the other dude that point guard corpse of Kevin Love like these guys had. No business there and they played a very tough round against the Patriots first round. They got the uh Raptors. They played them very tough, and then they got the Celtics up out of here. The thing is, if Donovan Mitchell wants to be known as one of those guys because he’s never made it past the 2nd round. Yeah, Evan Mobley is hurt. Yeah, Darius Garland is hurt, but they’re looking at you, dawg. They’re looking at you. You, you are the, you are the catalyst to get it done because you, you’re in that second tier. If Donovan Mitchell ever wants to be known uh up there with the, the Tatums or the SGAs or the LeBron, no, no, no, no, forget that, that’s, that’s, that’s that’s God tier. We’re talking about the top tier tier you in that second. Here, da, they like, you gotta get it done. And the great thing about these finals is I’m looking at everybody that way. Everybody that’s playing right now is, is looking to move tears or, or the, the underdogs came in and punched all the number ones in the mouth. Let me, let me ask you a question. I need throw bias to the side in the playoffs. Who’s a better player, Donovan or Jan or Jalen Bruns? I watched Jalen Brunson hit some tugs determined. — Jalen Brunson he was balling
— last night. I mean, but the, the Knicks show, but here’s the thing, the Knicks showed a level. They was down almost 20 in that game. Yeah they were. They showed a level of nah, we’re not about to go out like that. They, — there was a level of desperation and
— by the way, somehow the Knicks win that series. And the Cavs lose to Indiana, then that’s the final proof I need that the NBA regular season is to. — This is
— bull. That’s why this is, — and I don’t
— think it’s gonna happen. I think the Celtics will win the series, but still, let me go around around the horn. Is this a must win? Yes. Yeah, — for the
— Cavs, yeah, yeah, and I only, I feel like it’s a must win because of the injuries. If they were completely healthy, I would actually say no, I agree, but because they’re injured, — they gotta win this
— game. Listen, hey, Chad, what we talk about is this a must win. I’m gonna let y’all know right now. And Indiana, Indiana got some young guys with some confidence. Oh yeah, like they, they, they got and and and and and all them like they, they are, they are feeling. I’m just like what is this. I’m sorry, 11 thing. Who’s the guy they brought in like he hadn’t played the whole first half, then he came in and played really well in the second half. — came
— in. — He played the
— whole or the Pacers. — The
— Pacers. — Everybody they put in was
— looked a little like Dale Davis, old school Dale Davis. I can’t remember. Walker, — and he
— had, he had like a step back. — This
— this was when they had the Davis boys and Dale Davis. — Antonio was
— hitting steps and stuff that they wouldn’t really hitting, but that’s that’s the part of of of Thomas Bryant. — That’s what you’re thinking that’s
— that’s that’s who it was. I don’t know if he played well. That that’s kind of a couple of shots. — They had
— 2 points was minus 2. But my question for you guys, for the sake of this question, because I’m trying to make a bigger point here. OK, let’s just assume. Uh, Presley was executive of the year, not. That just came out. Let’s just assume for the sake of this conversation. I just, just bear with me just for this. If you’re ranking the next 5 best players in the game tonight. With those three out of the equation, who are the 5 players that you’d most want on your team for tonight? And I’m gonna try proving a point here with this. Yeah, would be, yeah, — it would be and then all
— the all the Pacers Jared Allen. Yeah, — probably
— not. I take I take Allen Miles Turner. Miles Turner is a much better offensive player. Allen. You take Andrew Nemhart who did play awesome. — He’s not a
— good shooter generally, right? Is it a little bit. That’s my point. Y’all disrespected him a little bit too much. — I
— think the players. Mitchell, Allen, Siakam and Hall. — You got 22 split
— and then the next 4 is 3 Pacers and 1 cap, if none of those guys play. But to make it seem like there’s some giant top level talent discrepancy, even if those guys aren’t at 100%, but you’re also not factoring that Donovan’s a — little banged up too
— and so is Halliburton. So, my point is if you take those guys out. It is significantly harder. I’m not trying to overestimate or I play that part, but it’s not like this is some gargantuan opponent. I think you’re understating because you’re talking about the Cavs right now have. Like offensively, even if I include Jared Allen, the Cavs have 6 players you trust offensively, right? Mitchell? Allen — Jerome
— Mobley, including Mobley Hunter Garland. They have 6 players that you trust offensively. Of those 6, Jared Allen’s last on the list offensively, right? OK. Well, 3 of those 6 would be gone. And of the 5 of the of the others remaining, you’re talking about the the either the 5th and 6th or the 4th and 6th guy you trust. OK, and at the same time, yeah. Meanwhile, — Indiana’s got all their better players
— and to expect them to shoot 53%, which was as good as they’ve shot all season again, there’s some variant here. — I hear
— you. When the first game was over, I was admonishing fans for being too doom and gloom after one game. But that was before we knew about the injuries. — I’m not
— saying I think the Cavs, if the Cavs were healthy, I think they were even without Darius. Even without Darius, if everybody else was healthy, I think they would have raced Indiana. I think we’re saying. I think it’s not like they can’t, but it’s gonna be much harder. — Significantly slimmer and
— Donovan has to and — and
— that’s what I want to loop back to. This is a chance for Donovan, and we had the conversation on Monday, which was yesterday, of the guys on the who can’t win the big one list, right? And we talked about, hey, at some point, Donovan’s got to make it out of the 2nd round of the playoffs. You look at guys like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, who for the majority of their careers, and I think Vince at some point late, late, late past his prime. Made it past the 2nd round, but those guys had the playoff success. Why? — Because
— he never made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. That’s my favorite player. Don’t do that. Donovan to this point in his career has been an incredible player in the regular season has not brought his team past the 2nd round despite being highly rated 1 seed in the West or the 1 seed this year. I know last year different things happened. These are the kind of games where Donovan has to make. Is this the first time Donovan’s team has been favored to win a series in this round? — Obviously they weren’t
— favor last year were the seed Utah one year. I think, I think, I think we’re looking at this wrong. 50. Donovan, Donovan Mitchell gonna give you 30. He might give you 40. I know what he gonna give you, right? This he’s got to give him 40. This comes down to 3 people. OK. Jared Allen, because when you, I don’t agree that Jared Allen is is better than Miles Turner. Miles Turner get jumping with you and Miles Turner, if you, if you, if you throw the ball down to him on the paint, he can, he can, he has offensive game where he can turn and get a shot. Jared Allen’s, his offense is all predicated off of rim running and putbacks and, and who’s gonna get him involved. he got the little hook. He does not have a post like that from the floor this year, but I’m just saying. Watch this. Hold on. Miles Turner also when the Cavs were like coming back and that’s huge. I’d love to know what are you talking about? I’d love to know what the shooting percentage of those two guys. On non-dunks and layups. He says that’s, he’s a better offensive player, not saying that that’s why I said Jared Allen’s gonna have to play a, a, a damn good game. — Matt Strus has to ball like he has
— to. Sam Merriller, he has, you gotta, when you at home. Your others are supposed to play better. When you’re at home, that’s home cooking. Your guys are supposed to be able to play better at home. Now if this was on the road, I would say, right, Donovan, you know, you might need to get 70 because you’re on the road, your role play, your, your, your, your role players vanished. But this game, yeah. Donovan is gonna have to maintain, but Jared Allen is gonna have to be on the rebounds. He’s gonna have to be on the boards. He’s gonna have to flip it back. So remember when, when Garland and Mobley was out last year and when they went on a 20 game winning streak? Wait a minute, if Mobley’s out, who’s playing for? Wade? I don’t know. They got a couple of different options. Well, I got your answer though. Alright, let’s hear this. So this is. — Allen
— versus dunks. Yeah, so you take out all their shots. In 6 to 12 ft from the basket. Jared Allen shot 60% this year. That was the 2nd among all forwards and centers. Turner. On 6 ft to 12 ft, shot 40%. That was the 41st percentile for Allen. Now Miles Turner shoots 3s. Allen doesn’t offensive games, but 10. That was like 5 years ago. That’s not. I mean, I’m just a better offensive player. — Let’s just it’s
— a bigger a better player. — I think
— it’s — so different like it’s
— it’s. The only thing I understand that, but you’re talking about efficiency in the paint like where was in the paint. — Like
— I you telling me it’s a 3 point game. Miles hit big time he hit a big time 3 in the corner of the 3rd quarter that hurt impressive, so to me, Miles Turner. I’m not saying Jared Allen Allen is garbage. What I’m saying is this is gonna be a great game. This game has to be Jared Allen being a physical. He has to be finishing. He has to take up for the slack of whatever Evan Mobley is doing. — So like I
— think — he’s
— whoever’s playing the floor is the most important person tonight because if you got Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner both able to crash the boards and it’s only Jared Allen, it’s gonna be a long day. It’s gotta be Wade. I know he’s done nothing, but I feel I a bad game tonight. I just cut his ass right off the. By the way, the at least the, the spread is gone from 9 to 7.5. Let’s predictions before we get to our last topic here, you wrap up. What’s the assumption on those three guys? Give us your best guess. Two of the three play. I’m not sure which of the two, but 2 of the 3 play. I think Darius and Hunter are gonna play and Evan’s not. That’s my prediction. I can work with that. I can work with that. I can work with that. — So let’s
— do that. If that happens, the Cavs win. I’m assuming Darius can get you at least 15 points. I’m I’m assuming DeAndre Hunter can get you 15. I’m gonna go with Donovan going for 50. I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go with the Cavs because I think, I think y’all made a little something more than y’all letting on. Like I, I believe you do have a little playoff, uh, uh, pedigree. I believe that y’all, you, you know, you talk championships. We’re gonna, we gonna see about it tonight though. Like I got y’all winning this game, but if y’all lose this game, it’s a wrap. — I
— got the Cavs and I got them covering. I got the Cavs too. I’m, I got the Pacers. We ain’t doing that. We ain’t doing that. I got the Pacers. — I got the Pacers by
— 7. This is, this is one of the biggest games. If there’s any game Jared I could make up for saying their lights is too bright and Donovan Mitchell is not known to get out of the 2nd round, this is it. We need like a 26 and 16 from Jared tonight. He’s capable of that. They got to go. They have to jump on them. Like that, none of that slow start stuff and there’s, and guys, please, there’s no dare me shots. Nimhar, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, — whoever’s shooting the balls
— and fives. Get up. I need you to be no fake contest. I need you to be up on these guys. No. That was the perfect time to say it. Neil Marcus. Don’t you think Jared Allen is capable of 26 to 16 if doesn’t play, right? I mean, he’s got to do, he’s got to have that kind of game, and he’s gonna be in all the pick and rolls the Cavs run if Mobley doesn’t play, which is gonna give him a lot of opportunities to have more of an offensive impact than we typically see when he’s their 4th or 5th option. It should be fun.

The Indiana Pacers visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pacers won the last matchup 121-112 on Sunday, led by 23 points from Andrew Nembhard. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 33.

The Cavaliers are 12-4 in division play. Cleveland ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 51.3 points per game in the paint led by Evan Mobley averaging 11.6.

The Pacers have gone 29-22 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference shooting 36.8% from 3-point range.

The Cavaliers are shooting 49.1% from the field this season, 1.7 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Darius Garland is scoring 20.6 points per game and averaging 2.9 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Ty Jerome is averaging 14.8 points and 2.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 18.6 points and 9.2 assists for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam is averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 120.2 points, 46.4 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 9.1 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points per game.

Pacers: 8-2, averaging 116.9 points, 45.0 rebounds, 28.0 assists, 7.4 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Darius Garland: day to day (toe).

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf).

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