The Cleveland Cavaliers have been pushed to the brink of elimination, and if they are knocked out, they face a terrible backlash.

The Pacers won Games 1, 2 and 5 at Rocket Mortgage Arena to help secure their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana needed to battle back from a 12-point first-quarter deficit. Tyrese Haliburton's three-point shooting played a huge role in clawing back into the game.

With less than 30 seconds left in regulation, Gordon hit a 3 to tie the Denver Nuggets with the Oklahoma Thunder and send Game 3 into OT.

Three-leg NBA parlay picks and best bets for Tuesday's NBA playoff slate featuring Pacers vs. Cavs and Thunder vs. Nuggets

The Cavaliers are in a fairly good position heading into the 2025 offseason. 11 players are set to be under contract, including Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Mitchell—who agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million extension last offseason.

Cavs center Jarrett Allen had a double-double in Game 2 and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals before his production dropped vs. the Pacers.

This is not how anyone—especially those inside the Cleveland Cavaliers organization—foresaw the season ending before the middle of May. Even the most optimistic Indiana Pacers fan likely couldn’t have dreamed of a scenario where they’d dismantle the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games.