Before the series between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers began, everyone who predicted the series at ESPN said that Cleveland would win. On Tuesday, Indiana’s social media team reminded everyone of ESPN’s predictions.
The Cavaliers were the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, winning 64 games. They showed no signs of slowing down in the first round of the playoffs by not only sweeping the Miami Heat but winning the four games by an average of 30.5 points. So, it was easy enough to see why they were the trendy pick.
And while everyone predicted a competitive series, ESPN was 11-for-11 in Cleveland’s favor. Tim MacMahon, Kevin Pelton, Ramona Shelburne, Andre Snellings, Jerry Brembry, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Chris Herring, Marc Spears and Jeremy Woo all picked the Cavs to win the series in six games while Jorge Sedeno picked Cleveland in 7.
We know this because shortly after wrapping up the series, the Pacers posted a screengrab of the predictions on X with the caption, “it was always ‘Cers in 5.”
it was always ‘Cers in 5. pic.twitter.com/OFWqjKLxWy
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 14, 2025
“Nobody believed in us” has become arguably the most overused cliché in sports. That said, it’s a lot easier to take it seriously if there are receipts.
