James Dominates Early; Cavs Even Up Best of Seven Against Pacers with 100-97 Win in Game 2

2. Oladipo Effect

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo was the difference maker in Game 1, and he was again the difference in Game 2– except this time it wasn’t as positive of a difference. Oladipo picked up his second foul 62 seconds into the game. And that is when the wheels began to fall off, albeit briefly. Without Oladipo on the court the Pacers struggled to find much of a rhythm on the offensive end of the floor and seemed out of sorts on defense.

With him on the floor the Pacers were plus 11, and while plus-minus is never a true way to judge someone’s impact, it paints a perfect picture in this one. Oladipo battled with foul trouble throughout this one, and it hurt Indiana. This will be something to monitor in Game 3: Will Oladipo be his same aggressive self, or will the fouls in Game 2 impact his style?

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