Let's not pretend like anyone expects the Pacers to beat Cleveland in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but we have to admit there's more question than there usually is with a LeBron James-led team.

The Cavaliers have been playing terrible basketball of late while the Pacers won five games in a row to clinch a playoff berth at the end of the regular season. So if there was ever a chance for a first-round upset, this might be it. But, then again, probably not.

Here are five things to know about the Eastern Conference series between the No. 2 seed Cavs and the seventh-seeded Pacers.

LeBron's first-round dominance

LeBron James, like many NBA superstars throughout the years, just doesn't lose in the first round. That's not an exaggeration -- he has never lost a first-round series. James-led teams in Cleveland and Miami have never lost more than two games in the first round, and haven't lost a single game since 2012 (17 in a row). If the Pacers are going to make it out of the first round this season, they're going to have to make history.

Paul George's last hurrah?

If the Pacers lose or -- even worse -- get swept, it's quite conceivable that this series could be the last time we see Paul George in an Indiana uniform. George has expressed his discontent with the team and is reportedly interested in signing with the Lakers when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2018. If the Pacers lose this series and get the sense George has one foot out the door, they will likely explore trade options heading into the draft at the end of June, and he could be gone before the start of next season. One caveat: If George makes one of the three All-NBA teams this season, he'll be eligible for a $200 million contract from Indiana, about $75 million more than any other team could offer him. If that's the case, George might be happy to re-commit to the Pacers.

Defense wins championships?

The reigning champs have been atrocious on the defensive end since the new year, punctuated by the Hawks' 44-point fourth quarter Sunday while the Cavs blew a 26-point lead in one of the worst losses in NBA history. That was essentially the last game of the year for the Cavs, since they rested James and Kyrie Irving for the remaining two games. Head coach Tyronn Lue said earlier this season that he had a secret weapon to fix the Cavs' defense in the playoffs -- will he unleash it against the Pacers or save it for later rounds?

Lance and LeBron meet again

The last time LeBron James and Lance Stephenson met in the postseason, we witnessed one of the greatest moments in NBA playoff history.

After Stephenson bounced around the league with several teams over the past three seasons, the Pacers brought back the enigmatic wing at the end of March. He has stepped in nicely for Indiana, playing about 20 minutes per game, and hopes to rekindle some of the magic he gave to that 2013-14 Pacers team that met the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. We can only hope he guards James for a good chunk of his time on the court.

Cleveland's big problem

The Cavs added a necessary extra big man when they signed Andrew Bogut after the trade deadline -- unfortunately he broke his leg less than a minute into his stint in Cleveland. After trying (unsuccessfully) to fill the void with Larry Sanders, the Cavs cut him after he missed a team bus and signed Edy Tavares from the D-League. An injury to Tristan Thompson exposed Cleveland's lack of size, which could allow big man Myles Turner to feast, while leaving the lane open for players like George and Jeff Teague to have a free pass to the rim.