CLEVELAND _ It was a seemingly innocuous comment by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert in July.
But after Sunday's 98-80 loss to the Pacers in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, it now looks like the introduction of bad karma.
Not only that, it provided fuel for Pacers guard Victor Oladipo in what would become his breakout season. If the 25-year-old first-time All-Star continues to be the Cavs' tormentor and spells a shockingly early exit for LeBron James and company, it may take its place with a Comic Sans letter on Gilbert's list of regrets.
"I will say that Indiana could've done better than it did," Gilbert said in reference to the Pacers' trade of Paul George during a press conference introducing new general manager Koby Altman.
Gilbert's observation seemed innocent at the time. Indiana had sent five-time All-Star George, who made it clear he was departing as a free agent after the 2017-18 season, to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Indiana University product Oladipo and second-year center/forward Domantas Sabonis. Oladipo went on to rank ninth in the league in scoring and first in steals; Sabonis averaged 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds as an important member of the second unit.
On Sunday, Oladipo scored a career playoff-high 32 points, surpassing James' 24. Oladipo added six rebounds and four assists. He made 11-of-19 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. When the Cavs cut a 23-point second-quarter deficit to seven with 10:29 remaining, Oladipo followed a Trevor Booker layup with a dagger 3 from 28 feet that pushed the Pacers' lead to 12 with 9:43 to go.
The Cavs got no closer as James saw his streaks of 21 consecutive victories in first-round games and 12 in a row in Game 1 of the first round snapped.
Oladipo hasn't forgotten Gilbert's remark. Neither has coach Nate McMillan, who responded to a question about whether the Pacers feared James and the Cavs, "We haven't paid attention to what people have been saying all season long."
Oladipo was paying attention. Asked if he was aware of what Gilbert said and had thought about it in recent days, he said, "I'm aware of it."
Oladipo said he wasn't bothered by it, but let it fuel him.
"I already have fuel. You could say it added fuel to the fire, I guess," he said. "But that was so long ago. It came up recently, obviously, because we were playing the Cavs in the series, but I'm aware of what he said. Can't control his opinion. All I'm focused on is myself and becoming the best Victor Oladipo possible."
Oladipo totaled 54 points in five playoff games with the Thunder last season, so he's clearly on his way to the next level. In the fourth quarter he scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while James scored four points on 1-of-3 shots.
After losing to a team that the Cavs swept in the first round a year ago, there is no longer any explaining away the Pacers' 3-1 series advantage over the Cavs in the regular season.
This was supposed to be different since all those meetings came before the Cavs roster was remade at the trade deadline. But James started off lethargic, taking his first shot with 1:52 remaining in the first quarter and never seemed totally engaged even as he posted the 20th playoff triple-double of his career.
In the big picture, James' lack of intensity seemed a hint that his second stint in Cleveland may be over in a matter of weeks, if that long. "I didn't expect to play 44 (minutes)," he said, which smacked of disrespect for the Pacers.
The Cavs survived adversity all season, but this time instead of becoming victims of circumstance, they created it themselves.
They fell behind 20-6 in the first quarter. Early foul trouble _ midway through the second quarter four starters had two apiece _ made them tentative. Coach Tyronn Lue stressed taking care of the basketball against the Pacers' fast-paced attack, but the Cavs lost nine turnovers, which led to 11 Pacers points, in the first 16 minutes. They finished with 17, which the Pacers turned into 20 points.
Lue said Friday that Kevin Love "is going to have to be great for us." Love scored nine points on 3-of-8 shooting, 3-for-6 beyond the arc, but did lead the Cavs with 17 rebounds.
The Pacers were the aggressors, and the Cavs seemingly could do nothing right. They couldn't hit from 3-point range. They couldn't make free throws. They couldn't locate Playoff LeBron.
The fans responded with boos, probably the first time that happened at the Q in the postseason since a Game 5 loss to Boston in 2010 characterized by the apathy of the soon-Miami-bound James.
Perhaps Playoff LeBron can be located. Perhaps the Cavs can make adjustments for Game 2. James' voice carried no sense of urgency about the challenge ahead or the criticism that's coming. He announced his playoff social media boycott, aka "Zero Dark 23," on Instagram Saturday night.
"I get an opportunity to take the two days and I hope the guys do the same thing to try to get their minds and their bodies refocused on what we need to do to win a ballgame," James said. "But I've always stayed even keeled with the postseason. I mean, I'm down 0-1 in the first round. I was down 3-1 in the Finals. So I'm the last guy to ask about how you're going to feel the next couple days."
If there's more of the same in store in this series, if Oladipo continues to outplay James, the focus will be on James and his future. But in the minds of many, Gilbert's flippant comment may be remembered as the dig that launched an NBA star.
