A total of 64 wins. The Coach of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year, and three All-Stars. Multiple 10+ game-winning streaks – all down the drain as the Cleveland Cavaliers have now been eliminated at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, who now punch their second straight berth in the Eastern Conference Finals. At this point, the odds have now shifted into their favor, and they are waiting for their next opponent to punch.

Much has been said about how the Pacers aren’t ready to contend at a high level given how they ended up in a sweep by then-champions Boston Celtics last season. However, this season has seen a lot of development for the team. Tyrese Haliburton and the gang are starting to be the biggest pick to win in the East, and it is really marking the start of a new era.

Indiana dropped 33 points on back-to-back quarters in the second and third and kept toe-to-toe with Cleveland for the final stretch while the home team tried to claw their way back. But the Pacers knocked down the key shots that would later put the game to bed, and it was a blazing finish on the road.

The Haliburton Show

Earlier down by 19, the Pacers slowly came back to life and had Tyrese Haliburton firing from all cylinders. The hero for Indiana drilled five three-pointers in the second quarter alone and proved to be the pivotal push that the Pacers needed to get their groove back. That has allowed them to claw up to a promising lead in the game and never looked back, with the Cavaliers never getting a taste of the lead all the way to the final buzzer.

This playoff run by Tyrese Haliburton has been really fun to watch. Combining to the last run, the Pacers star is now 16-9 in two seasons – a whopping 64% win rate and 2-for-2 on Eastern Conference Finals appearances. No one has been dominant at this rate – not even the best team in the Eastern Conference has been able to stop them in their tracks.

Ty Jerome tried to inject some life into the Cavaliers in the third quarter, it was enough to give them a chance to fight in the final moments of the game. However, Cleveland could not knock down most of their shots – including a stretch where Donovan Mitchell missed three free throws that could have tied the game as he nailed a three on the next possession.

What’s Next for Both Teams?

Cleveland’s majestic season comes to a disappointing end. Another second-round exit is in the books as they are the first 60+ win team to be eliminated in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics are on the verge of being the second 60+ win team eliminated as they are down 3-1 versus the New York Knicks.

The Pacers, on the other hand, will wait for the winner between the Celtics and the Knicks – with New York already on its way to push for its first ECF berth since 2000. There is a lot of history between Indiana and New York over the years, including last year’s semis clash where the Pacers emerged as the victors. Now it is expected that these two teams – the upsetters – will be gunning for a chance to make it to the NBA Finals with a war in the ECF coming up.