NBA playoffs: Cavaliers finish sweep of Pacers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the first team to their ticket into the NBA semifinals. On Sunday afternoon, it was Cleveland taking care of business against the Indiana Pacers, 106-102, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

For LeBron James and the Cavaliers, none of the games were easy. In all four contests, each came down to the final few possessions. Yet, Indiana was not able to win even a single game, including Game 3 in which it led by 25 points at halftime … at home.

The Cavaliers are going to play either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors in the second round. Those teams are tied at two games apiece in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal. Regardless of the winner, Cleveland is going to be heavily-favored to advance to the conference finals for the third time in a row.

Perhaps the real story coming out of this sweep isn’t about the Cavaliers, but rather the Pacers. Indiana fought its way into the playoffs but was a disappointment throughout the campaign, struggling to see the .500 mark despite having Paul George, Myles Turner and a veteran head coach in Nate McMillan. Before the loss on Sunday, McMillan made an ominous statement, per ESPN.

“We know we have a big mountain to climb. We’re not talking right now about winning the series. We’re talking about staying alive. You could lose a lot more than just this game if you don’t approach this game the right way,” McMillan said before Game 4. “… If you go out there and lay down and give them the game … you lose respect; there could be a lot of major changes. There could be a lot you could lose. The big thing is losing respect from your fan base and from fans all over.”

Pacers general manager Larry Bird has a real decision to make on George. George, 26, has one year left on his contract before having the ability to hit free agency for the first time. If he gets to the market, Indiana would be hard-pressed to hang onto its star, especially considering George is a California native and the Los Angeles Lakers are flush with cash.

If Bird decides to trade George over the summer, he needs to get a hefty return. Anything other than multiple first-round picks and a young, talented player with potential would be a failure.

In the meantime, the Cavaliers move on in what is likely another journey to the NBA Finals. Cleveland will face little resistance until it reached that point, when it probably comes up against either the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs.