The Pacers set a record in the counterattack season!

Pacers eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers, the number one in the East in five games, and returned to the Eastern Conference finals stage again. This is also the second consecutive season for the Pacers to reach the division finals. They have also become the first team to reach the division finals with the fourth seed or lower pick for two consecutive years since the playoffs were expanded to 16 teams in 1984.

As the fourth pick in the Eastern Conference this season, no one expected them to achieve such a record at the beginning of the season. Promoting to the Eastern Conference Final last season was generally regarded by the outside world as an accidental phenomenon due to opponent injuries. At that time, they met the Bucks who did not have Antetokounmpo in the entire series in the first round. Lillard also missed two games in the last three games, and the second round was to eliminate the New York Knicks with wounded soldiers.

From the time of the time, some fans were worried that the Pacers would repeat the mistakes of the Hawks in 2021. The Hawks were also a team that unexpectedly reached the division finals. Later, they were hovering on the edge of the playoffs and never returned to the second round of the playoffs. But this time, the Pacers proved themselves with their actual performance. They first eliminated the Bucks in the first round, and then defeated the Cavaliers who played historical-level data.

Of course, the Bucks also suffered injuries this season and performed poorly. The Cavaliers also lacked Garland in the first two games, and Mobley and Hunter in the second game. However, judging from the appearance of the game, the Pacers did control two rounds of the series, one of the keys came from their almost perfect shooting performance, which was their main weapon in this playoffs.

In the first 10 games of the playoffs, the Pacers' shooting percentage reached 50% and three-point shooting percentage reached 40%, becoming the sixth team in history to achieve this achievement, while the other five teams are the Spurs in 2014, the Nuggets in 2009, the Heat in 2005, the Trail Blazers in 1992 and the Lakers in 1985.

Pacers not only felt hot on the offensive end, they also played quite selflessly. The Pacers' assist rate so far so far is 68.9%, the highest assist rate in the first 10 games of the playoffs since the Warriors in 2018.

The most obvious manifestation of these characteristics is the fifth game of the semi-finals. 26 of the Pacers' 41 goals were completed by assists, with an overall shooting percentage of up to 50%, 15 of 35 three-pointers made, with a shooting percentage of 43%. As the team's first core, Halliburton has consolidated his position as the top commander of the league. With only 2 points in the first quarter, he finally scored 31 points in the whole game.

As we expanded the sample to the entire playoffs, Halliburton scored the winning key goal in Game 5 against the Bucks and the second against the Cavaliers. But this is not the credit of Halliburton alone. Everyone in the Pacers made contributions. The players with the highest score in each game are different. The whole team keeps bombing the Cavaliers in turns on the offensive end. The Pacers also set an NBA record, becoming the first special team in league history to have the highest scorer in each game in at least five games. In the first game of the

series, the highest score was Nembhard's 23 points, Turner and Nesmith's 23 points, the third game was Matherine's 23 points, the fourth game was Siakam's 21 points, and the fifth game was Halliburton's 31 points.

Last Tuesday, Halliburton scored 6 of 9 three-pointers in the second quarter, helping the Pacers to smooth out the disadvantage of being 19 points behind in the first quarter. The Pacers seem to have been used to such a reversal drama. In the first round of the series, the Pacers also reversed and beat the Bucks while falling 20 points behind, and finally secured the series victory.

After the league began importing the replay system in 1996, overcoming at least 19 points behind in the final series win has only happened five times, and the Schemes have accomplished this feat in two consecutive rounds of the series.

Refer to the official definition, the score difference within five points within the last five minutes is considered a critical moment. So far, the Pacers have not lost any key game in this playoffs, tied with the Celtics in 2024, becoming the only two teams to win 5 wins and 0 losses in the first ten key games of the playoffs since 1996.

All the stalemate and amazing reversal dramas directly show the Pacers' progress in the playoffs this season. They are gradually becoming the most balanced team in the NBA. This is also the best portrayal of this year's playoffs becoming the most difficult to predict in recent years. From the dominant player in the past few years, it has gradually evolved into a big battle where everyone has the chance to win the championship.

The second defending champion of the Eastern Conference, Celtics, was behind at the beginning of the semi-finals and was eventually eliminated by the Knicks; although the Knicks advanced, they barely defeated the sixth seed Pistons for promotion considering their performance in the first round of the series, their successive referee factors and a 21-0 reversal, which is something that makes people worry about them.

And in the West, the sixth Timberwolves eliminated the third Lakers, the seventh Warriors defeated the second Rockets and then fell in front of the Timberwolves. The first Thunder and the fourth Nuggets advanced in seven games.

Judging from the results of these matches, this is almost the most difficult to predict the playoffs. Even Lenovo, the Dallas Mavericks won the No. 1 pick with a 1.8% chance, everything this season is too crazy.

And for the Pacers, they have proved that they are a real strong team, and they remained hot all the playoffs and entered the Eastern Conference Finals. Facing their old rival, the Knicks, on the stage where everyone thinks the Cavaliers and the Celtics meet, there are two unexpected teams. This is the NBA, and miracles are happening at any moment.