2025 NBA PLAYOFFS | THE INDIANA PACERS WIN AND THE INSANE INSIDE THE NBA COMPARISONS

What started as a simple highlight reel of Game 4 turned into something bigger—and stranger. The Indiana Pacers completely dismantled the Cleveland Cavaliers, pushing the top seed to the brink of elimination. It was a brutal loss for the Cavs, practically over before halftime, and honestly, I don’t see them winning three straight after that kind of performance.

Then Ernie Johnson brought up Julius Erving while talking about Obi Toppin’s move. Sure, it was a cool nod—45 years after Dr. J’s iconic baseline scoop, and Toppin pulls off something similar. But then Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Jalen Rose started clowning on the whole thing. Tyrese Haliburton’s pass that looked like something Magic Johnson would do got a few laughs, and Aaron Nesmith’s shot had the crew cracking up because they compared it to Michael Jordan—just because he wears No. 23.

That triggered a memory of when the NBA (or maybe it was a team owner?) floated the idea of retiring the number 23 league-wide after Jordan retired. Look, I get it—MJ was next-level—but it’s hard to associate a Mavericks No. 23 with the GOAT. Maybe the Miami Heat pushed that narrative, since they actually retired his number even though he never played for them. Then again, they also retired Dan Marino’s No. 13 before un-retiring it. That brings us back to Bam Adebayo, who’s been making that number look good in his own right.

And yeah, I get that Bill Russell's number was also retired by all the teams in the NBA.

Even if I am a Boston Celtics fan, I don't like it either.

Back to Cleveland—Donovan Mitchell matters. A lot. Someone will step up, sure, but for the Cavs to work, Spida has to lead. Mobley, Garland, and Allen are all great pieces, but they’re busy dealing with Siakam, Haliburton, and Turner. And while Benedict Mathurin plays Mitchell’s position, the Pacers showed in Game 4 that they can survive without him—especially since Strus, Jerome, and Hunter haven’t been able to keep up with Nesmith and Toppin.

The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been pure chaos—and a lot of that has to do with how much more physical the games have become. Most top seeds thrived in a different style during the regular season, and now they’re struggling to adjust.