Despite boasting a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Indiana Pacers, for the second playoff series in a row, do not have the best player on the court.
Sure, Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, and Andrew Nembhard, among others, have all had their moments, but Donovan Mitchell is averaging a stellar 41.3 points across the three games thus far and is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor, well up from his season average of 44.3 percent.
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If the Pacers are to win Game 4 on Sunday, stopping Mitchell needs to be the priority.
In Game 3, Mitchell took 14 free-throw attempts. In the game before that, he took 21. He is getting to the rim, drawing contact, and scoring with ease, and the Pacers need to emphasize their interior defense.
Against the Pacers, Mitchell has shot only 22.6 percent from 3-point range, and the rest of the Cavs haven’t fared much better. Nesmith, Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin are all capable of guarding the perimeter, but the Pacers need to stuff some bodies down low.
Siakam, Turner, Thomas Bryant, and even James Johnson, who received some minutes in Game 3, can fill space and prevent Mitchell from taking off in the paint.
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Playing Johnson is often associated with headhunting, as his physical style can often result in injuries. After Game 3, where Johnson picked up a quick foul, Carlisle justified putting him in despite the game being out of reach.
“James has been working hard and decided to put him in the game to get some minutes,” summed up Rick Carlisle.
ESPN color commentator Cory Alexander suggested during the game that Johnson might be called on early in Game 4 to impose some physicality, and clogging the lane might be the best way to slow down Mitchell and win Game 4, taking a commanding 3-1 lead.
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