This year was supposed to be different. It wasn’t. The top-seeded Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season. This time, by the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers in a 114-105 Game 5 loss.

Ideastream Public Media's sports commentator Terry Pluto expects changes in the offseason after the Cavs' flameout.

As some fans wrap their heads around the end of Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers, Abram Sykora said he feels defeated.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup against the Indiana Pacers on the road. A big loss in Game 4, however, brings the series back to Cleveland with the Cavs on the brink of elimination trailing 3-1 in the series.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus attempted to light a fire under his teammates prior to Game 5 of their second-round playoff series. Before Game 5 tipped off, TNT's Jared Greenberg revealed Strus texted the Cavaliers group chat: "If you don't believe, then don't show up for work."

When the lights grew brighter, the Cavs showed their true colors, proving to be a fraudulent regular-season team.

Here is what Indiana and the national media said after Game 5: Charles Barkley made this point at halftime on TNT, after the Cavaliers squandered a 19-point lead, and returned to it afterward: “They used their size to their advantage,” he said. “For some reason, they wanted to start shooting jumpers.”