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Rick Carlisle admits wild Pacers outlook despite 3-1 series lead

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jedd Pagaduan | Last updated May 12, 2025 1:44 AM ET

Following the Indiana Pacers’ blowout loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of their second-round matchup, many believed that the 64-win Cavs team, the best in the Eastern Conference, was going to use that victory as a springboard to get right back on track in hopes of overturning a 2-0 series deficit. Instead, the Cavs put up as bad of a game as it can get for at team of that caliber, fell behind by 41 points at the half, 80-39, and never recovered en route to a 129-109 loss that puts them on the brink of elimination.

While the majority of the headlines in the aftermath of this game will be about the Cavs’ sudden downturn in performance, the Pacers deserve plenty of credit for punching above their weight class and hitting the Eastern Conference’s best team right in the teeth. At this point, Indiana should be heavily favored to win the series, especially with the injury concern surrounding Donovan Mitchell at present.

However, head coach Rick Carlisle and the Pacers are truly embracing the role of the underdog, as they avoid getting ahead of themselves since nothing is set in stone quite yet. The first team to win four games wins the series after all.

“We haven’t done anything yet. We were a pretty significant underdog in every game we’ve played in that series and that will continue until the end,” Carlisle said, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

Pacers beat the Cavs to a pulp

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) celebrates a made basket during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Everything that could go right for the Pacers did go right on Sunday night. There was some concern after Bennedict Mathurin’s early ejection, but that mattered very little in the grand scheme of things. Indiana shot 60 percent from the field and 67 percent from deep (on 18 attempts) in the first half, as they took care of business against the Cavs early on and had the game wrapped up by the halftime interval (they were up 8-39).

Nonetheless, leaning on the underdog mindset is healthy; even if Mitchell won’t be 100 percent from here on out, the Cavs won 64 games in the regular season for a reason and they can turn it up at a moment’s notice. The Pacers cannot afford to get complacent even though they have their opponent on the ropes.

And with Game 5 being on the road, the Pacers would want to squash any ideas of a comeback from the Cavs as soon as they can.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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