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What to watch for in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers

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What to watch for in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers


The Cleveland Cavaliers (47-33) will host the Indiana Pacers (46-34) in the second-to-last game of the regular season. The two teams are separated by one game in the Eastern Conference standings, with this game deciding the tiebreaker should it come to that to determine playoff positioning.

What: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, OH

When: 7:30 PM EST

How to Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, NBA League Pass

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Line: CLE -2.5

Expected Cavaliers Starting Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Cavaliers Injury Report: Sam Merrill (neck, DOUBTFUL), Dean Wade (knee, OUT), Ty Jerome (ankle, OUT)

Expected Pacers Starting Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

Pacers Injury Report: Isaiah Jackson (hamstring, QUESTIONABLE), Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder, OUT), Quinton Jackson (G League, QUESTIONABLE), Isaiah Wong (G League, QUESTIONABLE), Oscar Tshiebwe (G League, QUESTIONABLE)

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What to watch for: Playoff atmosphere

The Cavs may still need to win their game Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, but one way to lessen that need would be to go out and beat the Pacers tonight. With a win, Cleveland would avoid the play-in, win the tiebreaker over Indiana, and put themselves in a position to host a playoff series. Despite having a dreadful last few weeks of the season, the Cavs could find themselves in the same position they were last year: starting the playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

This is a moot point if the Cavs come out flat, much like they did against the Memphis Grizzlies one game earlier. The Grizzlies, without any starters, held a three-point lead over the healthy Cavs at halftime. If they come out with the same level of intensity, the Cavs may have to climb a mountain in the second half. This is a test of not only Cleveland’s defense, as Indiana has the best offense in the league, but one of mental fortitude as well.

Poor body language, slack offense, and not getting back on defense have plagued the Cavs throughout the last several weeks. They cannot allow that aura to take over, or it’ll be a quick night.

What to watch for: Defensive intensity

Indiana has one of the best offenses in the league, leading the NBA in points per game, field goal percentage, and assists per game. They are also second in pace, effective field goal percentage, and offensive rating. Driven by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, the Pacers are ripe to drop 125 points on any given night.

That means the Cavs will need to up their defensive intensity. They weren’t particularly good against the G League lineup Memphis rolled out last game, and the Pacers are an exponentially more potent monster. In their last 15 games, the Cavs essentially have the same defense as the Washington Wizards with a 116.3 defensive rating (24th in the league). In that same timeframe, the Pacers have the second-best offensive rating (120.8) in the league behind the Boston Celtics.

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This is a scenario of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Pacers are playing well to round out the season while the Cavs are struggling to put away bad teams like Memphis. One way to help light a fire is to get active on the defensive end. Indiana is not a particularly adept defensive team (24th in the NBA), so if Cleveland can string together some stops and turn them into buckets on the other end it could be the catalyst to put their foot on the throat. But they need to find that gear.

One stat to watch for: Darius Garland shot attempts

The Cavs’ ceiling is centered on several players, but Darius Garland is at or near the top of that list. He has shown more aggressiveness on the offensive end of late, which is good to see. Following a bizarre stretch in which he never attempted more than 17 shots per game (most of those without Donovan Mitchell on the floor, mind you), Garland attempted 25 and 22 shots against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers respectively. Against the Grizzlies, he only got up 13 shot attempts, hitting five of them, and going 2-9 from three-point territory.

Garland needs to be aggressive, particularly in getting to his spots and taking shots. His passiveness sometimes slows the Cavs down too much, and failing to start a posession until half the shot clock has expired allows opposing defenses to set up and counter. At the beginning of the season, J.B. Bickerstaff preached about having a more dynamic offense that is faster and more run-and-gun. Garland (and Mitchell, too) needs to be the tip of the spear for that against a Pacers’ defense that should have enough soft spots to exploit.



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Cleveland, OH

Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Sounds Off On Stephen A. Smith, Critics

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Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Sounds Off On Stephen A. Smith, Critics


Many people cannot handle criticism, whether it’s constructive or unwarranted. But Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell eats it up.

During a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Mitchell revealed why he actually likes criticism.

“And when people started talking (expletive) about, ‘Oh, he not that good,’ and I overcame that little hump, that’s when I was like, ‘Alright, bet. I belong,” Mitchell said. “Because they only doin’ that — they not gonna talk (expletive), like you said, about the last guy on the bench.”

Mitchell went on to single out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith as one of the critics that motivated him.

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“The greats go through the highs and the lows throughout, then that’s when I really stopped listening to the media for real, but that was when I realized, like, oh, you got the Stephen A. Smiths talking about, ‘Oh, he can be this. He can be that.’ And then you start struggling then it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s not this. He’s not that.’ That’s when I was like, ‘Alright, bet.’ You overcome that,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has a point. Not many NBA analysts are going to focus their critiques on bench players, but when it comes to stars, it’s open season.

Many say that you know you’ve made it when you people start hating, and that’s the angle Mitchell seems to be taking.

And Mitchell has definitely made it.

The 27-year-old has made five straight All-Star appearances and is coming off of a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals over 35.3 minutes per game on 46.2/36.8/86.5 shooting splits.

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Mitchell also just signed a lucrative three-year contract extension with the Cavaliers.

That being said, there is still one major accolade missing from Mitchell’s resume: playoff success.

We’ll see if Mitchell can lead Cleveland on a deep postseason run next spring.



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Cleveland, OH

List Of Athletes That Participated In WWE Public Tryouts During SummerSlam Week In Cleveland, OH.

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List Of Athletes That Participated In WWE Public Tryouts During SummerSlam Week In Cleveland, OH.


A list of those who participated in the WWE SummerSlam Public Tryouts in Cleveland, Ohio has surfaced online.

X user @lexveraux shared the following list of male and female talents that took part in the latest WWE tryouts.

Sirena Linton (NCAA All-American Gymnast)
Sofia Grace Iaderosa (Pro soccer player)
Terralicia Mercadel (Track and Field athlete and Powerlifter)
Daryn Harris (Kickboxer)
Emilie Henningsen (Acrobat and Tumbler)
Darci Khan (Track & Field Athlete)
Hayley Montoya (Volleyball Player)
Makenna Turner (Stanford Rowing Team)
Alona Olshevska (NCAA All-American)
Emily Buchette (Lacrosse Player)
Jaiden Fields (Softball Player)
Kaitlyn Banas (Track And Field Athlete)
Karyn Best (Track And Field Athlete)
Kennedy Brace (Track And Field Athlete)
Elena Carter (Track And Field Athlete)
Bayley Humphrey (Gymnast)
Naofal Abouelhouda (Crossfit Athlete)
Elijah Holyfield (Football Player, Son of Evander Holyfield)
Shane Bonner (Defensive End)
Camden Gagnon (Defensive Lineman)
Chase Kline (Linebacker)
Atrilleon Williams (Football Player)
Greg Benton Jr (Football Player)
Jeremy Mercier (Linebacker)
Kyle Klink (Linebacker)
Carlos Aviles (Track And Field Athlete)
Matthew Tago (Football Player)
Isaiah Chambers (Defensive Lineman)
Hayden Hatcher (Linebacker)
Terrance Taylor (Linebacker)
Von Young IV (Football Player)
Jack Freeman (Offensive Lineman)





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Cleveland, OH

Guardians bolster bullpen with two fresh arms ahead of series finale against Orioles

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Guardians bolster bullpen with two fresh arms ahead of series finale against Orioles


CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians bolstered their bullpen with a pair of fresh arms ahead of Sunday’s series finale against Baltimore, recalling right-hander Eli Morgan from Triple-A Columbus and selecting righty Connor Gillispie from the Clippers.

Lefty starter Joey Cantillo, who allowed three runs in four innings during Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Orioles, and righty Xzavion Curry, who surrendered four runs in three relief innings, were optioned to the minors to make room on the active roster.

Gillispie, 26, was selected by the Guardians in December as part of the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. Prior to joining Cleveland’s organization, Gillispie made 87 appearances (40 starts), going 19-17 with a 4.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and eight saves in 11 opportunities as part of Baltimore’s farm system. He was a ninth-round pick of the Orioles in the 2019 MLB draft.

This season, Gillispie has started 11 games and worked out of the bullpen in nine for the Clippers, compiling a 3-7 record and 4.01 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. He has posted a 23.3% strikeout rate and a 10.5% walk rate while surrendering 19 home runs.

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Pitching coach Carl Willis said Gillispie has started and worked out of the bullpen this season and brings a five-pitch mix to the mound. After using righty Pedro Avila on back-to-back nights against Baltimore, the Guardians felt Gillispie was best positioned to help the bullpen in the short term.

“We needed some length, and just from a strike-throwing perspective and the pitch mix, we felt like he was our best option to come up and give us some length here (Sunday),” Willis said.

Morgan, 28, is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 appearances for Cleveland this season, including 10 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He spent two stints on the major league injured list before being optioned to Columbus on July 4.

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