Pacers-Cavaliers matchups

Key matchups to watch during the Cavs-Pacers first-round series

Point guard

Cavs: George Hill; Pacers: Darren Collison

Hill started all 24 games he played with the Cavaliers since being acquired from Sacramento at the trading. He scored in double figures only five times. He is averaging 2.8 assists. His chief contribution in this series will be defense. He played five seasons with the Pacers. Collison led the Pacers with an average of 4.26 assists a game and in threepoint shooting (.468). He averaged 18 points and 5.5 assists in four games against the Cavaliers this season.

Advantage: Collison

Shooting guard

Cavs: Rodney Hood; Pacers: Victor Oladipo

Limiting Oladipo is the key for the Cavaliers this series. He averaged 23.1 points and 4.3 assists and led the entire NBA with an average of 2.4 steals a game. The Cavaliers are hoping Kyle Korver will recover from a foot injury in time to start against the Pacers. The three-point specialist is improving, but Coach Tyronn Lue will start Hood if necessary rather than risk playing Korver before he’s ready. Hood, coming off an Achilles injury, is averaging 10.8 points a game with the Cavs.

Advantage: Oladipo

Center

Cavaliers: Kevin Love; Pacers: Myles Turner

Now that Kyrie Irving is no longer a Cavalier, Love is eager to take on a leadership role in the playoffs as part of “The Big Two” with LeBron James. His ability to fight for rebounds and score from behind the arc (125 3s despite missing 23 games with a broken hand) makes him dangerous to the Pacers. Turner is a rim protector (1.81 blocks a game average) and averaged 12.3 points a game.

Advantage: Love

Small forward

Cavaliers: LeBron James; Pacers: Bojan Bogdanovic

Bogdanovic with a career best 14.3 points a game scoring average might get the nod in some matchups, but the 28-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina is going against arguably the best player in the world. James, 33, is at his best in the playoffs. He averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds this season. His intangibles and will to win are immeasurable.

Advantage: James

Power forward

Cavaliers: Jeff Green; Pacers: Thaddeus Young

Green will likely spend most of the series guarding Oladipo. He wasn’t a starter at the beginning of the season, but he has made 13 starts since March 11 and clicks with Love and James. Young is a grinder. He started 81 games in 201718 and averaged 11.8 points a game.

Advantage: Green

Bench

Cavaliers: J.R. Smith; Pacers: Domantas Sabonis

The Cavaliers reshaped their team to make the bench stronger with Smith, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Korver or Hood taking most of the load. Clarkson gives the Cavs instant offense with 13.3 points a game. Sabonis averaged 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds as the Pacers’ sixth man, but Indiana doesn’t have the depth the Cavaliers do.

Advantage: Cavaliers