The Indiana Pacers are up 2-0 in their series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. This is an outcome no one saw coming into the series, but it is not as far-fetched as you may think. 

The Pacers are on a roll and have a real shot at making the NBA Finals, and who knows what happens when they get there. Here are three reasons why the Pacers can make the NBA Finals. 

They have been excellent post-All-Star break

Tyrese Haliburton started the regular season cold and ineffective, which led the Pacers to be somewhat disappointing in the first half of the season. They were 30-23 and an afterthought among Eastern Conference contenders. However, that changed after the All-Star break. 

The Pacers had a 20-9 record after the break, third-best record in the Eastern Conference right behind the Boston Celtics and Cavaliers. Haliburton looked like the All-Star point guard from the last two seasons, bumping his PPG from 17.8 to 20.6 and his APG from 8.5 to 11. He also brought his FG% from 45 percent to 53 percent. 

The second half of the season showed the real version of the Pacers, which has translated to the postseason. 

The 2024 playoffs were just the beginning

The reason for the early-season expectations in Indianapolis was due to the team’s success in the 2024 playoffs, during which the Pacers made a magical run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They were not afraid of the moment throughout the postseason and even took down the New York Knicks in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden to advance to the ECF. 

That postseason run has set them up for this one. They are not afraid of the moment, which has been evident in their comeback victories.