Pacers Made Shocking NBA History Beating Cavaliers

The Pacers are showing that last year's run wasn't a fluke, and this year's team is built for the playoffs. They are not only beating great teams along the way, but they are stomping them.

The Cavaliers were no slouch and won 64 games for a reason. Usually 64-win teams aren't easy to knock off, but the Pacers made it look easy.

That is why entering the Eastern Conference Finals, they appear to be the favorite, despite being the lower seed than the New York Knicks, and despite the Knicks knocking off a 60+ win team of their own in the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

The odds of the Pacers reaching the finals increased dramatically after the Celtics lost, mainly because the Pacers lost to the Celtics in the playoffs last year. Now that they don't have to worry about a significant road block from last year, they can more easily focus on this year and what has been working for them.

The Knicks aren't built all that differently from the Pacers, interestingly, which should make for a good series. Both teams have star point guards running the show, have good defenders on the wings, and star frontcourt players who can score inside and out.

The biggest difference is the pace of play. The Knicks prefer to slow things down and play more in the halfcourt, while the Pacers play at a faster pace, forcing turnovers and running hard on fastbreaks.

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Both teams' styles of play have carried over to the playoffs, making this series an interesting clash. Part of why the Knicks beat the Celtics is they played faster and more aggressively, which stood out especially in Game 6.

The Pacers also significantly outran and outhuslted the Cavaliers, so it will be interesting to see if the Knicks try to match the Pacers' pace, or try to slow them down.

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.