Young Central Indiana students show their support for the Pacers

CLEVELAND (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers are gearing up for their second game in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Pacers beat the Cavs 121-112 in Game 1 of their second-round series on Sunday night to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 will take place at 7 p.m. EDT inside Rocket Arena.

Indiana though is not dwelling in the past. It knows Game 2 is going to be even more challenging, considering the Cavs will be playing to avoid a 2-0 series deficit.

“We’ve just got to keep concentrating on trying to make it hard for them, both offensively and defensively,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Monday afternoon. “And working at getting the shots that we want.”

It’s fair to say most fans inside Rocket Arena on Sunday were rooting for the hometown Cavaliers. But, despite that, the Pacers are feeling support from their fans back in Indiana. For instance, there is a poster that reads “Go Pacers” currently hanging on a wall inside the team’s hotel in Cleveland.

“Jenny Boucek, our (assistant) coach, it was her daughter and her class and what not, put it together, and just, you know, knowing we have the support of everyone back home, and, you know, even the little stuff, like you know, having a lot of the PS&E (Pacers Sports & Entertainment) employees come out yesterday (Sunday) up in the section was like 214, 114, whatever it was,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “I think that not a lot of people are rooting for us, but the ones that are like, you know, it’s very special.”

News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff took the following photos of the poster inside the team’s hotel in Cleveland:

“It’s great,” Carlisle said. “And after our meeting, the players lined up and got a picture that they’re going to send back to the school. So, it’s pretty cool.”

The Pacers shared a video clip of the moment the players took that photo in front of the poster.

News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff is on the road with the Pacers in Cleveland. He will have live coverage on Tuesday, both before and after the team’s Game 2 matchup against the Cavs. Tune in to WISH-TV to see the reports.

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