Carlisle s three moves to defeat the Cavaliers! Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final 4-1, and Mitchell scored 35+9 and left the field in disgrace.

Preface: When the tactical board becomes a "dimensionality reduction strike weapon"

On May 14, 2025, when the timer of the Cleveland Speed ​​Loan Arena hit zero, Mitchell bent over and supported his knees, sweat dripped on the floor along his wrist guards. On the opposite bench, Pacers coach Carlisle is being splashed with Gatorade by the players - the 67-year-old coach, who used three "surgical" tactical adjustments to "dismember" the Eastern Conference No. 1 Cavaliers who won 64 in the regular season. 114-105, the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals away, and the script for this victory was written in the G4 half-massacre two days ago.

Who would have thought that this young army, who was ridiculed as "only able to play fast attacks" at the beginning of the season, eliminated the Cavaliers with a total score of 4-1? When Halliburton's buzzer-beating three-pointer crossed the dome, the Cavaliers fans collectively lost their voices. At this moment, basketball is no longer a one-man show for superstars, but a victory for wisdom and team.

Text: Pacers' "Three Dragon Slaying Styles"

1. The first knife: specializes in stabbing Struth, dismantling the Cavaliers' defensive system

Carlisle found in the G4 pre-match video analysis that Struth, who is 2.03 meters tall, is the "life gate" of the Cavaliers' joint defense. He asked Siakam and Turner to take turns to play this misplaced point, and he directly hit his opponent with one shot twice at the beginning. "Struce was beaten so hard that she doubted her life. Mobri's defense was all big gaps in the outside line," the commentator described. Turner took the opportunity to pull out of the three-point line and made 3 of 4 three-pointers in the first half. The Cavaliers' defensive formation was like a pierced honeycomb.

This move still worked in G5. When Struss tried to block Haliburton in the third quarter, the latter swung his opponent with a fake move and made a mid-range shot. The camera swept across the Cavaliers bench, and Allen covered his face with a towel - the nominee for the best defensive player, who was walking the Pacers' lineup until his legs were weak throughout the whole process.

2. Second knife: Crazy rebounds, kick the game into "rugby"

"Can't grab the rebound? Then pull off the opponent's pants!" Carlisle's pre-match mobilization became a reality. In the G4 half, the Pacers scored 7 offensive rebounds, and Toppin even pushed the opponent out of the bottom line for half a rebound. This "hungry tiger pounces on the food" posture has allowed the Cavaliers' double tower Mobri and Allen to grab only 9 rebounds.

When we arrived at G5, McConnell, who was on the Pacers' bench, turned into a "sweeping monk", and his height of 183cm actually took the key frontcourt board from the top of Allen's head, who was 2.11 meters tall. Post-match data shows that the Pacers averaged 8.2 more rebounds per game and scored 14 more points in the inside line - how is this a basketball game? It is clearly the counterattack declaration of the "Low Legion".

3. The third knife: the fast break blitz, ending round with 3.8 seconds

"It only took 3.8 seconds from serving in the backcourt to scoring!" Nesmith's buzzer-beating mid-range shot in G4 interpreted Carlisle's "fast break philosophy" to the extreme. As long as the Cavaliers missed the shot, the Pacers' five immediately turned into 100-meter sprinters. Turner often rushed faster than the defender, and caught the ball in the midfield and rushed to the basket in three steps. This style of play made the Cavaliers proud of counterattack scored only 5 points in the halftime, and Mitchell's fast breaks were awkward. In the third quarter of

G5, Halliburton made a long pass after stealing, and the latter glided and ignited the whole game. At this time, the camera was on the sidelines - Carlisle crossed his legs and drank a drink, as if saying, "I just adjust the tactics casually, why are you breaking down?"

Conclusion: The ultimate answer to team basketball

Pacers' victory tore the inherent script of "superstar basketball". They used three tricks to tell the world:

Wisdom is more important than talent: Carlisle's tactical adjustments have made Struz, who has an annual salary of 4 million, a breakthrough for a lineup worth 400 million;

Fierceness is superpower: 183cm McConnell snatched the Cavaliers' double towers, interpreting what is "floor flow ceiling";

Youthlessness: 23-year-old Halliburton averages 17.4 points and 7 assists per game, and uses his brain instead of muscles to control the game.

When Mitchell bowed his head and left the court, Halliburton walked towards the Cavaliers bench and embraced Garland, the former draft template - at this moment, the handover between the old and new eras was quietly completed. As Carlisle said, “Basketball is never a game for one person, but a war for five people.” Perhaps, this Pacers are writing a new philosophy of basketball.