Cavaliers vs. Pacers Game 6 Prediction: Can LeBron James Carry Cleveland Past Indiana?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are just one win away from defeating the Indiana Pacers in their first-round playoff series. With the teams set to face off in Game 6 Friday night, it might be more accurate to say that LeBron James, not the Cavs, has won three of the last four games to take a 3-2 series lead.

James has carried Cleveland through the first five games against Indiana, highlighted by a Game 5 performance for the ages. The four-time MVP scored 44 points on 24 field-goal attempts, including the game-winning three-pointer as time expired. James set up that shot with a game-tying block.

With 10 rebounds and eight assists, James nearly had his second triple-double of the series. He’s leading Cleveland with 34.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. James is shooting 55 percent from the field.

Kevin Love is second on the team with just 11.8 points per game, and he’s making 32.8 percent of his shots. Jeff Green falls behind James with 1.8 assists per contest, while Cleveland’s point guards have totaled just eight assists against Indiana.

Over the last three postseasons, Kyrie Irving was Cleveland’s second-best player. This year, it’s been Kyle Korver, a 37-year-old spot-up shooter.

That’s somehow been enough to put the Cavs one win away from punching their ticket to the second round. James has averaged 40.1 points on 61.4 percent shooting in Cleveland victories. He’s gotten into the paint at will during those games, especially in Game 5 when he made 12 shots within five feet of the rim.

Will James be able to put the Cavs on his back one more time this series?

Cleveland has been aided by some bad Indiana shooting performances. The Pacers missed plenty of open shots in Game 5, going six-of-20 from three-point range. Victor Oladipo missed six of his seven attempts from behind the arc, and his poor shot selection has hurt Indiana on offense. The guard is shooting 12-of-50 since Game 3.

Even with those underwhelming games by their best player, the Pacers had a chance to win each contest. That might not bode well for Cleveland since Oladipo could easily bounce back with Indiana’s season on the line.

Domantas Sabonis has had his way with the Cavs in the last two games, totaling 41 points on 24 field-goal attempts. Look for him to have a big Game 6.

If James gets the same lack of help that he's gotten over the first five games, we could be headed toward a Game 7.

Prediction: Indiana over Cleveland, 105-102