So much for the favorites.

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers with home-court advantage, a top-tier defense, and three supposed stars. But in Game 1, the Pacers looked like the veteran playoff squad. They outpaced, outshot, and outclassed the Cavs, claiming a 121-112 win on Sunday night—something Pat McAfee, who’s been all-in on this Pacers team all season, was clearly expecting.

Tyrese Haliburton delivered a crazy performance with 22 points, 13 assists, and a 9-for-15 shooting clip. Andrew Nembhard led the team in scoring with 23 points and six assists. The Pacers fired off a 36-25 first quarter, weathered Cleveland’s surges in the second and third, and closed strong in the fourth. They snatched the game and home-court advantage.

And we’re not just talking casual fan energy here. McAfee’s been banging the drum for Indiana—and especially Tyrese Haliburton—since way before the playoffs. Back in February, he called Haliburton “the only likable superstar in the NBA” on his show, holding him up as the exact kind of athlete the league needs more of. Not a hot take, just vintage McAfee: loud, loyal, and Indiana to the core.

And when Haliburton sank the game-winner to eliminate the Bucks in Round 1? McAfee didn’t just post about it—he yelled it into the internet: “TYRESE HALIBALLLLLIN,” he text-screamed in an IG post, practically vibrating with pride. And after Sunday night’s win over Cleveland, he doubled down again with a now-viral X post:

“As I was saying.. THE PACERS ARE THE REAL DEAL BROTHER”

Pat McAfee has been one of the few national voices consistently hyping the Pacers this season, and he’s clearly tired of playing nice. Haliburton has been wearing that “most overrated” label like a cape. After Sunday night, it looks more like armor.

The real dagger in this game? Indiana’s hot shooting aligns perfectly with Pat McAfee’s claim that the Pacers are a real problem. Haliburton & Co. torched the Cavs’ defense from every angle, going 19-of-36 from three (52.8%). By contrast, Cleveland’s offense looked stuck in quicksand, hitting just 9-of-38 from deep (23.7%). Donovan Mitchell bricked his way to a 1-for-11 mark from beyond the arc, making his 33 points feel hollow after going 13-for-30 overall. With that kind of shooting, McAfee’s confidence in the Pacers is starting to look pretty spot on.

And while we’re at the armor stuff, let’s talk about the fouls everyone’s going on about.

The Refs Let ‘Em Play, But Did They Let Tyrese Haliburton & Co. Get Away With It?

Because yeah—while Indiana looked like a team of destiny, the whistles (or lack thereof) told a different kind of story. And not just for fans yelling at their TVs. Post-game, even Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson sounded confused as hell trying to explain the calls—or the ones that never came.

“I think, which I never understood, you can basically hit a guy… once it’s released, kinda all bets are off—even on a floater,” Atkinson said during his post-game presser. “If you shoot a floater and they hit you, like… they don’t call that. So I didn’t get an explanation. I just sat while they reviewed it… they didn’t see a foul.”

He wasn’t talking about flops or close calls, either. “We got hammered three times,” Atkinson said. “JA had one where he got hammered. But technically… referees said it was fine.” The confusion didn’t stop at the Cavs’ locker room. Fans and analysts online pointed out how the referees whistled Evan Mobley for lightly touching Pascal Siakam’s back, while they didn’t call whistles on Jarrett Allen and Max Strus, who took mid-air shoves.

What makes this even messier? Indiana has its own officiating baggage—they once submitted a report citing 78 missed calls in a series against the Knicks. Bennedict Mathurin bumped a ref in frustration earlier this season and got suspended. So the irony of them now benefiting from “let ‘em play” energy? Yeah, that’s rich.

And despite the chaos, Indiana still coughed up 16 turnovers—more than double Cleveland’s 7—yet somehow never lost control. Even the rebounding battle stayed dead, even at 43 apiece.

If Game 1 was Indiana making a statement, Game 2 might have Cleveland demanding a rulebook. Because if the refs are going to let guys play streetball one minute and call tic-tac stuff the next, this series might spiral fast.