CLEVELAND, Ohio — CLEVELAND, Ohio — If Game 1 was a gut punch, Game 2 needs to be a counter. The Cavs can’t afford to blink twice.

After surrendering home court and control in a 121-112 loss to the Pacers on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Cleveland returns to Rocket Arena Tuesday night for what has quickly transformed into a high-stakes necessity. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT, but for the Cavs, the urgency arrived immediately after their first playoff loss.

“I was really kind of surprised looking at the film because it didn’t resemble the team that I’ve seen all year,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said Monday.

Atkinson’s statement cut to the heart of a performance that lacked Cleveland’s core identity: defensive intensity, ball movement and cohesion.

Indiana brought the fight first. The Cavaliers never truly answered.

That will have to change from the outset of Game 2 or this series could start slipping.

Health watch: Questionable trio leaves Cavs in flux

Cleveland’s uphill climb isn’t just schematic — it’s physical.

De‘Andre Hunter, who dislocated his right thumb in the second half of Game 1 on a no-call that left him writhing on the floor, is officially listed as questionable. So is Evan Mobley, who tweaked his ankle after landing awkwardly under Myles Turner.

Atkinson called both situations “a real concern” regarding their availability for Tuesday night.

Darius Garland, still nursing a nagging toe injury, rounds out the trio of uncertainty. The Cavs have weathered injuries throughout the season, but the timing and volume of this wave is especially cruel.

And yet, this is playoff basketball. There‘s no pause button, only pressure.

Physicality and focus: Non-negotiables for Game 2

The Cavaliers know what’s missing. They said as much on Monday.

“The thing that just stood out is their physicality and our lack of physicality,” Jarrett Allen said. “I feel like we could have been more aggressive in terms of making things difficult for them, like we did in the Heat series.”

Allen’s not wrong.

In their opening-round dismantling of Miami, Cleveland set a tone — bodies on bodies and no easy lanes. Against Indiana, that identity was absent.

“They outplayed us. More force, energy and focus than us,” Atkinson said.

Cleveland will have to redraw the line. Indiana’s pace and shot-making punished the Cavs at every opportunity, whether in transition bursts or quick-trigger threes. The Pacers dictated flow. Cleveland chased it.

Although it’s not the same physicality that bounced the Cavs from the first round in a gentleman’s sweep against the Knicks two years ago, the Pacers’ guards are making life difficult on all the Cavs’ creators, especially since Garland missed Game 1.

There has been a lot of talk about the Cavs escaping the lack of physicality narrative with their regular season performance, but they still have to rewrite that narrative in the playoffs. Tuesday is a perfect opportunity.

“Narratives are hard to change in this league,” Allen said. “When something sticks in this league, it’s going to stick for a while. I think we‘re on the right path in terms of getting the narrative off of our back, but last night was definitely not a good example of trying to do that. So for us to get that gone, we have to come out next game and prove that that team last night was not the Cavs that we want to be.”

Guard your yard: Defensive discipline must return

The Cavaliers must better manage Indiana’s chaos. That starts with transition defense and ball containment, but it extends to details: cleaner switches, earlier communication, tighter closeouts and not overhelping.

For Allen, the answer starts with accountability — not schemes.

“You prevent the overhelp by guarding your yard, literally,” Allen said. “It’s more mental. Everybody can guard in this league. Everybody on offense is an excellent player, but we‘re all world-class athletes at the end of the day. The physical side is going to take care of itself. It’s just sitting down and doing it. It’s just sitting down and forcing the player you’re guarding into the optimal direction or forcing them into the optimal shot.”

That’s been the bedrock of the Cavs’ defense all season: individual responsibility fueling collective trust. When everyone contains their matchup, Evan Mobley and Allen don’t have to step away from the rim. When they can stay anchored, the whole system flows and there‘s no open shooter left lurking in the corner.

But if help comes too soon or from the wrong place, Indiana will pounce. That’s exactly what they did in Game 1. The Pacers attempted 36 triples, and 19 were considered open looks.

Cleveland has leaned heavily on switching all season, a scheme largely designed to prepare for the Boston Celtics — long seen as the final boss in the East. But right now, that preparation is irrelevant unless the Cavaliers find a way to slow the Pacers down. Even Atkinson admitted the Cavs may need to reconsider their principles.

“Does it become a more stay-at-home series?” Atkinson said.

It might have to.

If Game 1 was any indication, Cleveland’s path forward isn’t just about tweaks — it’s about discipline. Knowing that help is there, but not rushing to use it.

And the Cavs’ defense helps fuel their offense. Rather than having Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome combine for 50 of the team’s 98 shot attempts, with many coming in the halfcourt, Cleveland can get out into transition and give the Pacers a taste of their own medicine.

When the Cavs share the wealth, they have had success. When the offense stalls, so does their spirit — and that starts on defense.

The moment is now

There‘s no panic — not yet. But there is urgency.

A second home loss would put the Cavaliers in a significant hole with Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis. That’s not just a precarious spot. That’s perilous.

So much of this series will be defined by what Cleveland does with Tuesday night. Do they punch back? Do they defend their turf? Do they re-establish what made them a top-four seed in the first place?

Allen framed it plainly.

“The playoffs are so physical. I don’t think we drew the line yet. … There‘s another level that we can be more physical.”

If the Cavs want to see another level of this postseason, they’ll have to reach that level before it’s too late.

How to watch the Cavs: See how to watch the Cavs games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.

Here‘s what to know about the matchup:

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Series: Game 2.

Where: Rocket Arena

When: 7 p.m. ET.

The point spread: Cavs minus-8.5; O/U 229.5

TV: TNT/truTV/Max

Injury Report

CAVS:

Questionable:

Darius Garland (toe); Evan Mobley (ankle); De’Andre Hunter (thumb).

PACERS:

Out:

Isaiah Jackson (Achilles).