GT: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers

bbwchingy0007 · Nov 24, 2006

This game sees the 8-4 Cleveland Cavaliers take on the 6-6 Indiana Pacers at the Conseco Fieldhouse. Both teams are coming off losses to Toronto, for the Cavaliers, and to Orlando, for the Pacers.

<div align="center">Cleveland Cavaliers

C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG David Wesley PG Eric Snow

@

 C Al Harrington PF Jermaine O?Neal SF Danny Granger SG Marquis Daniels PG Jamaal Tinsley

Indiana Pacers</div>

Key Matchup ? PF ? Drew Gooden v Jermaine O?Neal

v
This matchup is an interesting one, with a player on the cusp of greatness and dominance, Jermaine O?Neal, and a player slowly becoming a solid, consistent player in Drew Gooden. Whilst there is no real question regarding which man is the better basketball player, it will be up to Drew Gooden to try to contain O?Neal, in an effort to make the game manageable for the Cavaliers.

[div=50%]
Pacers? Keys to Victory
<ul>
[*]Contain LeBron James. LeBron is a player who could well single-handedly destroy the Pacers. In an effort to avoid this, the Indiana players must make every conceivable effort to make his life difficult all over the court.
[*]Score through Jermaine O?Neal. When the opposition Center scores less than 15 points, the Cavaliers are 7-3, so are likely to win. Therefore, by scoring in excess of 15, or even 20 points, O?Neal should give the Pacers a strong chance of winning.
[*]Send the Cavaliers to the free throw line. As has been well documented, the Cavaliers are shooting awfully from the charity stripe. A lot of time spent here could spell trouble for the Cavaliers.
[/list]

[/div]
Cavaliers? Keys to Victory
<ul>
[*]Contain Jermaine O?Neal. The best way to win a game is to stop the opposition?s star player, and that is just what is essential for the Cavaliers tonight. If O?Neal is stopped, the Cavaliers should win.
[*]Silence the home crowd. By going on runs of many points, and quick bursts of energy and intensity, the home court advantage will be nullified, thus evening up the playing field.
[*]Crash the boards. The Cavaliers are the eighth best rebounding team in the League, whilst the Pacers are the twelfth. It should be a hard fought battle, with the winner of the rebounding battle potentially being the winner of the game.
[/list]


Prediction
Since October 2003, the Cavaliers and the Pacers have met 12 times, and the Pacers have claimed 7 of the games. The average score for these games is 94-91 in the favour of the Indiana Pacers. Against the Pacers, LeBron averages 24 points, his fifth worst against all NBA teams, second worst in the East, 6.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists, his sixth worst against and team, third worst in the East. Nevertheless, I see the growing maturity and talent of the Cavaliers being strong enough to surpass the Pacers, though only slightly.

93-90