Pacers force Game 7 after blowout win against Cavaliers

Victor Oladipo was sensational in Game 6 lifting the Pacers to a monster win against the Cavaliers. Oladipo who had been in a slump to an extent for the past three games, completely returned to form, scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in the game. His third triple-double ever.

How did Oladipo do it? “I just got of my own way and let it fly.”

The Pacers had seven different players in double figures, to just three for the Cavs. The game was such a blowout that James didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. He finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. It’s hard to have any real faith in this Cavs team at this point if LeBron James isn’t doing everything for them.

This series has been a mystery game to game. It’s hard to know what to expect as it seems no momentum really carries over and anything can happen.

Sunday should be a great one.

This. was. a. blowout.

This is not a typo. This has happened.

Three-pointers from Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner have blown this game open for now.

A quick 5-0 run by the Pacers to start the 3rd quarter and the Cavs are forced to call a timeout.

Oladipo leads the way with 18 points and James has 14 but oh what do we have here?

Oh this game is intense. LeBron James is actually bleeding after a run in with Thad Young.

With LeBron getting a rest on the bench the Pacers have been able to build a small lead, but probably not enough given he’s been out nearly half of the second quarter.

Oh we have a GAME.

Here is Victor Oladipo who has 15 points.

And here is LEBRON JAMES.

Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith already have two-there pointers for Cleveland which is a great sign LeBron’s supporting cast. But the Pacers are hanging on.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got another superhuman performance from LeBron James, including a buzzer-beater to win Game 5, and now have a chance to close out the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Friday in Game 6 in Indianapolis (8 p.m., ESPN).

James scored 44 points on Wednesday night, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to clinch Cleveland’s 98-95 win. That followed a block of Victor Oladipo on the other end, though on a play even the NBA admitted a day later should have been called goaltending.

Those 44 points for LeBron in Game 5 wasn’t even his highest-scoring game of the series, having poured in 46 in Game 3. James is averaging 34.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and eight assists in this series.

In his career James is 12-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pacers were 27-14 at home in this series and will need a home win on Friday to stay alive. They won Game 3 in Indiana to take a 2-1 series lead and overcame a 15-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead in Game 4 before the Cavs came back to steal one. That could prove to be the difference in the series unless Indiana can come through on Saturday, and then possibly Sunday in a Game 7, if necessary.

Location: BankersLife Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Game time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Announcers: Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters

Online streaming: Watch ESPN