Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers head-to-head, season stats, last 5 games and more for 2025 NBA Playoffs East Semis

After easily taking care of their first-round opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers will face off in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. It's their first postseason series against each other since 2018, when LeBron James and Victor Oladipo faced off in the first round.

The Cavaliers finished at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 64-18. They made moves both in the offseason and at the trade deadline that paid dividends during a dominant regular season. However, head coach Kenny Atkinson and DeAndre Hunter were brought in to help the team finally get past the second round of the postseason.

On the other hand, the Pacers were among the more underrated teams this season. They finished as the fourth seed with a 50-32 record and were the underdogs heading into their first-round series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. However, Tyrese Haliburton has taken the next step as a leader and is paving the way alongside co-star Pascal Siakam.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Head-to-Head

The Cavaliers and Pacers have been playing each other since Dec. 3, 1976, when the Pacers were a new team in the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers were in their first decade of existence. They have played each other 215 times in the regular season, but only 15 times in the playoffs, a surprisingly low number considering the relative success each team has enjoyed throughout their history.

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The Pacers hold the edge in their regular season matchups, 111-104, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have won more playoff games between the two, 9-6. The majority of their 15 playoff matchups came within the last decade when they faced each other in back-to-back first-round series in 2017 and 2018. The Pacers won the initial matchup back in the first round in 1998, 3-1.

However, the Cavaliers, led by James, won both series in the 2010s, sweeping Indiana in 2017 and defeating them in seven games in 2018. Cleveland dispatched Indiana in back-to-back postseasons en route to the NBA Finals, but were defeated at the hands of the Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Season Stats

The Cavaliers were the league's best offense this season, averaging a staggering 126 points per game, the top mark in the NBA. They had the best offensive rating as well at 136.2, but the Indiana Pacers are on their heels in both categories. Haliburton and Co. are third in the league in scoring at 117.8 points per contest and are tied for the league's second-best offensive rating at 118.

Cleveland is also dominant defensively, sporting the second-best defensive rating in the NBA at 102.7. The Pacers put forth a respectable effort themselves, finishing in the top ten in the league with a 111.1 rating on the defensive end of the floor.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Last 5 Games

Since April 12, 2024, the Pacers are 3-2 against the Cavaliers. They come on top in the season series between the two teams, winning three of their four matchups this season. The sole win for Cleveland against Indiana this season came all the way back on Jan. 14, 2025.

Here are the scores of the last five games between Cleveland and Indiana:

Pacers def. Cavaliers 126-118 on April 13, 2025
Pacers def. Cavaliers 114-112 on April 10, 2025
Cavaliers def. Pacers 127-117 on Jan. 14, 2025
Pacers def. Cavaliers 108-93 on Jan. 10, 2025
Cavaliers def. Pacers 129-120 on April 12, 2024

Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks 2025 NBA Playoffs Second Round Schedule

Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers second-round series in the 2025 NBA playoffs is on May 4. It will be held at Rocket Arena, with a start time of 6 p.m. EST. It's a nationally televised game on TNT and truTV.

Here's the full schedule, including location, time, date, and channel:

Game 1: Rocket Arena, 6 p.m. EST, May 4 on TNT and truTV
Game 2: Rocket Arena, 7 p.m. EST, May 6 on TNT and truTV
Game 3: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 7:30 p.m. EST, May 9 on ESPN
Game 4: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 8 p.m. EST, May 11 on TNT and truTV
Game 5: Rocket Arena, TBA*, May 13 on TNT and truTV
Game 6: Gainbrige Fieldhouse, TBA*, May 15 on ESPN
Game 7: Rocket Arena, TBA*, May 18

* If necessary

About the author

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

Know More

Cleveland Cavaliers Nation! You can check out the latest Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and dive into the Cavaliers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Edited by Zachary Howell