Cavaliers Have Surprising Advantage Over Pacers in One Key Area

The Cleveland Cavaliers showed some real fight in Game 3 of their series versus the Indiana Pacers. But Indiana was able to respond in Game 4, pushing Cleveland to the brink of elimination.

After dropping the first two at home, the Cavs flexed their muscles by upending the Pacers in Indianapolis by a score of 126-104. Of course, it helped to have the team's full roster. DeAndre Hunter, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland all played after missing Game 2 with various injuries.

Mobley scored 18 points while also accruing three steals and three blocks. Garland and Hunter combined for 18 points in relatively limited minutes. The bigger story in this game, however, was the rebounding disparity between both ballcubs.

The #Pacers lack of ability to defensive rebound is a problem.
— John Dissauer (@johndissauer) May 10, 2025

The Cavaliers outrebounded the Pacers 56-37. Cleveland had a whopping 18 rebounds, while the Pacers as a team had only four. There could be two culprits behind these numbers. One could pertain to personnel. Mobley and Jarrett Allen in comparison are far more physical than Indiana's frontcourt duo of Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Turner has never been known as a rebounder, and Siakam is giving up a handful of inches to both Mobley and Allen.

The other exists in the form of effort rooted in desperation. Needing to win this game to effectively save the series, Cleveland was hyper-active on the backboards. Mobley and Donovan Mitchell individually each had more offensive rebounds than the Pacers did as a team. That simply cannot happen if Indiana is to win this series against a healthy Cavs team.

Mobley's impact in his return was particularly impressive and profound. He gobbled up 13 rebounds and was highly potent in protecting the rim. Mobley (13) and Allen (12) combined for 25 rebounds — whereas Siakam (4) and Turner (3) were woefully underwhelming in this category.

Offensive rebounds tonight:

5 — Donovan Mitchell
5 — Evan Mobley
4 — Pacers pic.twitter.com/57IXJPTmGy
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 10, 2025

This will be a major storyline moving forward in this series. The Pacers might not win the rebound battle, but at a bare minimum must be competitive in this regard. Being dominated in that capacity will lead to a host of second-chance opportunities and eventually points for Cleveland.

At some point, Rick Carlisle will have to adjust. This could result in playing bigger players, or ushering in more of a team-rebounding mindset where the guards help on the boards as opposed to trying to get out in transition early with the hopes that their big men will do the dirty work alone thus igniting the fast-break.

More Pacers news:

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Pacers Have to Figure Out Massive Disadvantage vs Cavaliers

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