CLEVELAND — Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter — the three Cavaliers players who sat out Game 2 of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers because of injuries — were back in the lineup and sparked Cleveland’s 126-104 victory Friday night in Game 3.
Garland and Mobley were back in their usual spots in the starting lineup, with Garland scoring 10 points in 25 minutes and Mobley posting 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Hunter had eight points and five rebounds off the bench. Friday’s win cut the Cavs’ series deficit to 2-1.
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson credited the trio for playing through injuries in a critical game.
“Listen, we’re down 2-0 — it was kind of now or never,” Atkinson said. “You’re banged up, and you’re hurting, you’ve got a swollen ankle, and they had to test it today. It showed a lot of fortitude. We’ve got one day of recovery here, so it’s going to be a quick turnaround, so just hope they can turn it around and be ready to go.”
Atkinson said before the game that all three players would go through a pregame workout before declaring their availability.
Garland returned for his first appearance in this series, but he had not played since Game 2 of the first round on April 23 because of a sprained left toe. In his two playoff games, he averaged 24 points and seven assists on 51% shooting (41% from 3).
“I told him 20% of you, 30% of you is all we need, man,” said Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, who had a game-high 43 points. “He’s fighting and gutting it out. A lot of respect for him. But I’m a guy that’s like, cool, do it again. He said the same thing.”
Mobley and Hunter were injured during the fourth quarter of Game 1 on separate plays in which Atkinson said he thought the contact was excessive. Neither play was whistled for a foul.
Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, sprained his left ankle after landing on Pacers center Myles Turner after a jump shot. Hunter sprained his right thumb after having a layup attempt blocked by Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
“It’s like bringing Hakeem Olajuwon back to the Houston Rockets,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Mobley’s return. “He’s a great player, so he’s gonna help their team be considerably better.”
All three players had been listed as questionable entering Friday’s game, but they also participated in shootaround earlier in the day, a step forward after not taking the court before Game 2 on Tuesday.
With all three players sidelined in Game 2, the Cavs blew a 20-point first-half lead, including seven points in the final 50 seconds.
