In 43 home games so far, the Cavaliers have lost just seven times. That was until the Indiana Pacers shocked them in the first game of their second-round series. The Cavs’ revered defense failed to contain their high-paced offense. However, Cleveland couldn’t find a way to reply either. Aside from Donovan Mitchell’s blazing performance, they lacked another threat, someone Kenny Atkinson knew could be key in this series.

Darius Garland picked up a toe injury during the Cavaliers’ sweep against the Miami Heat. He missed the last two games and has since been labelled day-to-day. He wasn’t fit enough to suit up tonight, much to Atkinson’s dilemma. How does he fill up the Cavaliers’ depth to match the Pacers, whom he believes are incredibly deep? “They trust their depth. We trust our depth. It’s going to be who can do it for longer,” he had said about the series.

Sam Merrill retained his role. However, he doesn’t have the silky handle or the playmaking acumen of Garland. Likewise, it paved the way for the Pacers. They singled out Spida Mitchell, who bore the brunt of the defence.

Mitchell was still unbelievable. He scored 33 points to lead all scorers. But without Garland’s shooting threat, the Cavaliers lacked their usual spacing. And by deploying various defenders on Mitchell, the Pacers were able to hinder him as well, as he only made one of his eleven three-pointers during the game.

“When you’re playing a player that great, you’re just trying to send different looks at him. You know, see how you can mess up the rhythm and just figure it out. I think the NBA as a league, the top guys are so skilled right now, and he’s definitely in that category. He makes shots at an unbelievable rate and, you know, in so many different ways. So just try to give him different looks and when we do get stops, get out and run,” Tyrese Haliburton said about their game plan.

Ideally, without the second in the chain, you would imagine Mitchell’s stats would improve. However, in the two games he played alongside Garland, Mitchell averaged 30 points and shot 47.4% from three. Without him, his averages dipped to 22.8 points, with an average of less than 30% from beyond the arc.

It highlights just how crucial Garland is to the Cavaliers’ game plan. He provides them with an efficient playmaker while averaging 24 points with great efficiency. His absence gave the Pacers a boost. And yet, after their brave first-round victory, fear doesn’t exist in their locker room.

The Pacers are fearless as long as they stand

The Pacers are coming off a statement victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. Although inexperienced in the postseason, they carry themselves with confidence. So even though the Cavaliers won 14 more games than them in the regular season, to them, as long as they are matched up, they have a chance.

The news about Darius Garland will be a positive to most fans. After all, he is integral to Cleveland. However, even if the Cavaliers return fully healthy next game, the Pacers’ mindset isn’t going to change. They believe that with their resources, they have what it takes to pull off an upset.

“I mean, I think their record with guys injured is probably pretty good all year. So, I don’t know if it changed much. So, we didn’t really look at it as like, ah this is our chance. You know, we wanted to come in and compete and try to give us give ourselves the best chance regardless of who’s out there,” said Andrew Nembhard, who led the Pacers’ with 23 points.

No matter how many regular-season records the Cavs broke, in terms of a team that gave them trouble, the Pacers stand out. In their four battles, Indiana holds a 3-1 advantage in the regular season. Now, they have started the series with a win at the Cavs’ home arena. And with the way they played, it really didn’t seem like they were intimidated.

The Pacers shot 53% from the floor in the 121-112 victory against the East’s top seed. Furthermore, their fast-paced offense helped their defensive success. The Cavaliers’ urgency to respond resulted in them shooting just 23.7% from beyond the arc. The Pacers managed to gain a 30-point advantage in three-point shooting.

And as Atkinson feared, their depth played a major role. Their bench contributed 27 points in the Game 1 victory. So the message is clear. The regular season is over. Nothing is carrying over to the playoffs as the Pacers continue to fearlessly attack and use their momentum to snatch games.