Entering what is essentially a must-win game for Cleveland on Friday night, already down 0-2 to Indiana, the Cavaliers three key players out last game are returning for Game 3.
Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) are all available for Game 3, with Garland and Mobley returning to their starting roles.
That starting five, the Cavaliers ‘ most-used lineup during the regular season and had a dominant +12.5 net rating, has played just 23 minutes across six playoff games due to injury (and has a -5.1 net rating in those minutes).
Cleveland needs Garland and Mobley to take some of the ball-handling and shot-creation load off Donovan Mitchell, who scored 48 points in Game 2 and got the Cavaliers out to a 20-point lead, but wore down during the fourth quarter as that lead slipped away. Mitchell was 2-of-6 in the fourth and Indiana got the win.
Garland has been battling turf toe going back to the regular season, but it was aggravated in Cleveland’s first-round series against Miami and he sat out the final two games of that series and the first two of this one. Mobley and Garland were injured on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter of Game 1 against Indiana. Mobley rolled his ankle when he was crowded by Myles Turner while taking a shot and landed on Turner’s foot. Hunter suffered a dislocated thumb when Bennedict Mathurin blocked his dunk attempt. After the game, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said he didn’t think the Pacers’ plays were dirty but that the officials need to better protecting player safety.
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