PREVIEW: The Indiana Pacers arrive in Cleveland as significant underdogs against a Cavaliers team ranked third in efficient rim attacks and seventh in three-point shooting efficiency. Indiana's defense struggles mightily against three-point shooting, ranking 29th in the league, while Cleveland has built its offense around spacing and ball movement that ranks sixth and fifth respectively. The Pacers do excel at limiting three-point attempts on the defensive end, holding opponents to just 37.7 percent of their usual volume, but this strength may prove insufficient against such a versatile offensive attack. The Cavaliers rank fifth in the Eastern Conference with 28.3 assists per game, showcasing the depth of offensive weapons that will test Indiana's fragile perimeter defense. While the Pacers have won just 14 of 34 games against Eastern Conference opponents, the Cavaliers have dominated with a 30-18 conference record, extending a dominant seven-game winning streak in their last ten contests. Indiana faces a brutally depleted roster with multiple players out or questionable, including key contributors T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith. The Cavaliers' defensive prowess shows in their ability to limit rim attacks to just seventh-worst frequency, while Indiana struggles to generate consistent scoring from the paint, ranking 24th in attacking the rim. The Cavaliers shoot 48.0 percent from the field against defenses that allow 49.1 percent, giving Cleveland's efficient offensive approach a significant edge in execution.