by
Detroit mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert's Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record this year in the NBA's Eastern Conference at 64–18.
So, it goes without saying that fans had high hopes for the playoffs. On Tuesday night, those hopes were dashed when the Indiana Pacers beat the Cavs 114–105 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Pacers won the series 4–1, ending the Cavs' season.
"Fans, I know it’s heartbreaking," Gilbert posted on X Tuesday night after the loss. "But the good news is, we have a talented young core that will learn from this and continue to get better. We appreciate your incredible support all season long. It’s not how we wanted it to end, but I promise you we will do everything humanly possible to address what needs to be fixed and end in a much better place next year."
Throughout the series, Gilbert acted as a cheerleader for fans, posting after Sunday's 129–109 loss to the Pacers:
"Hey @cavs fans… yes, it was an ugly one, but we’ve been here before. Time to get 3 in a row, 2 of them coming at home. Let’s start with Game 5 on Tuesday. #Believeland."
After the Cavs went down 2–0 in the series, Gilbert posted:
"Very tough night, @cavs fans. But this series is not over. It all comes down to Game 3 on Friday night. We win Game 3 and take it from there. Keep your heads up and the energy high. #Believeland."
The Pacers, for the second year in a row, move on to play in the Eastern Conference Finals. They'll play the winner of the New York Knicks-Boston Celtics series. The Knicks are leading in that series 3-1 and are very likely to win, particularly since the Celtics' star Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of the last game.
He will not be returning in the series and could potentially miss next season as well.
