The Cavs fell short again. Inside their mental battle, leadership test, and why belief — not talent — is the key to breaking through.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the FanDuel Sports Network for at least one more season, according to recent reports.

Max Strus sent a group text message to motivate his teammates. Then he went scoreless as the Cavaliers lost Game 5.

The Indiana Pacers led by coach Rick Carlisle turned out to be a temple of doom for the #1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers whipping them in the playoffs as they had in the regular season.

For the second straight season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have failed to advance past the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. And this time around, it's hard to label it as anything other than an abject failure.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, hitting six 3-pointers and dishing out eight assists to lead the Pacers to a 114-105 win over the Cavs in Game 5.

The Cavs talked openly about wanting more credit for how well they were playing in the regular season. They approached each game with something to prove. Most notably, their January win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, which, at the time, felt like a statement to the rest of the league that they were true title contenders.

"I'm sorry that their season had to end like this," Rick Carlisle said after his fourth-seeded Pacers eliminated Cleveland despite the Cavs' 64 wins and Coach of the Year honors.