Already behind 0-1 in its second-round series vs. Indiana, Cleveland will be without three of the top six players in its rotation due to injuries.
Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) are all out for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
#Cavs Evan Mobley was still walking with a noticeable limp in the locker room pregame and when he spoke to me briefly, there was a somber tone in his voice. He is crushed that he can't play tonight.
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) May 6, 2025
Ty Jerome and Dean Wade slide into the starting lineup with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus. This really hits the Cleveland bench, which is now very thin — only Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro played in Game 1 and are available on Tuesday.
This is not a total surprise, coach Kenny Atkinson called all three both doubtful and questionable on Monday (they were officially listed as questionable). Garland has been battling a sprained big left toe for weeks and missed part of the Cavaliers’ first-round series against the Heat after aggravating it, and had been out for Game 1 (and was missed). Mobley and Garland were injured on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter of Game 1. 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.
Atkinson, the NBA Coach of the Year, didn’t think the plays were dirty but was frustrated with the officiating that led to the injuries.
“I don’t think this is on Indiana,” Atkinson said, via the Associated Press. “But the fact of the matter, I think that’s on the referees. Maybe they were missed calls, or maybe I’m misinterpreting the rules, but I have a problem when we got two of our best players doubtful for tomorrow’s game. It’s hard for me to get my head around that. And there were no calls on either one.
“I haven’t talked about referees all year and I think the referees in this league are phenomenal and they do a great job. That was a darn good crew last night, but for some reason it bothers me that we’re dealing with this. At least there should be some repercussions in terms of making the call.”
The repercussions now fall on the Cavaliers, who will need a big night from Donovan Mitchell to even this series.
