The Pacers survived the Bucks and one of the best players in the world. Now they'll face one of the NBA's most balanced teams.

In chess, every player starts with the same pieces — equal in number, equal in power. That‘s never the case in sports. Every team is built differently, and success hinges just as much on the pieces as the plan.

The top-seeded Cavaliers dominated the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs by sweeping the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. After the Cleveland-Miami series ended April 28, the No. 4 Indiana Pacers won their Round 1 series against the No.

Donovan Mitchell has been to the NBA playoffs in each of his 8 seasons, but he has yet to get past the second round. "That's why I wake up every day."

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — “It’s about being desperate.” Donovan Mitchell talked about the Cavs’ mental approach to the playoffs. After sweeping Miami, the Cavs are facing Indiana in the second round in a best-of-seven series. It opens Sunday at Rocket Arena.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just beat the Miami Heat in the first round, they buried them in a Cavalanche. A 4-0 sweep capped by a 138-83 blowout in Game 4 wasn’t just a statement; it was a transformation.

Darius Garland’s toe is still barking, and so are the critics. With Indiana looming, the Cavs face a test of depth, identity, and belief.

Miami Heat forward Kyle Anderson said after his team was swept from the NBA Playoffs that the Cavaliers were a better team without Darius Garland.

Sour grapes? The usual end of series blather? A veiled attack in support of his chastised teammate? A morsel of truth? In the aftermath of Cleveland’s four-game sweep over Miami in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs,