The resounding message from Pacers practice at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday afternoon was one of guarded optimism.
The Pacers delivered a decisive first blow in their best-of-seven series series with the Cavaliers with a 98-80 victory in Game 1 on Sunday. The result was all the more stunning when you consider the opposition, led by four-time MVP LeBron James, who had not lost a single first-round playoff game in nearly six years.
But you wouldn't have known it from the Pacers' demeanor as they fielded questions from the media on Monday. Nor would you have known it based on the team's subdued reaction as they exited the largely empty arena — most of the sellout crowd was already on their way home well before the final buzzer sounded — on Sunday and made their way back to the locker room.