CLEVELAND, Ohio — Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals just got much tougher.
Sources tell cleveland.com that the three players listed as questionable on the Cavs’ injury report — All-Star point guard Darius Garland, reserve forward De’Andre Hunter and Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley — are all out Tuesday night.
Cleveland trails the Pacers in the best-of-seven series, 0-1.
Garland, the team’s second-leading scorer in the playoffs, is set to miss his fourth straight game with a sprained big toe on his left foot that has bothered him since the end of the regular season, an injury that he re-aggravated in the closing minutes of Game 2 of the Cavaliers’ first-round matchup with Miami.
Hunter and Mobley were injured about 30 seconds apart in Sunday’s series opening setback on consecutive offensive plays that Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson called “excessive” and over the line of normal playoff physicality.
Hunter suffered a dislocated right thumb while Mobley has a sprained left ankle, making it difficult to put full weight on his leg.
None of the three were able to participate in the team’s shootaround earlier Tuesday morning.
“We’ve got to be ready for plan A, B, and C,” Atkinson said when asked about the team’s approach if Hunter, Garland and Mobley are all unavailable. “We’ve got a great group. We’ve got great leadership. We’ve always responded. Great maturity, great professionalism, and this is part of what we figure things out as a group. These experiences make you better, make you stronger as a group and we obviously have to respond on the floor, but liked our approach leading up.”
Following the team’s walkthrough Monday afternoon, Atkinson expressed his anger over non-calls on the Hunter and Mobley plays. Atkinson unleashed again about two hours before tipoff, adding in another play where Jarrett Allen was pushed out of midair on a dunk.
The Cavs sent all three plays in question to the league office for review — and potential flagrant foul upgrades.
“In my opinion, all three plays were excessive in nature,” Atkinson explained during an epic four-minute rant. “In no way am I saying the intent by Indiana was to injure or hurt. That’s not who that team is. But I will say, and this is a little bit like big picture, my opinion, we have to decide what that line is, what that excessive line is.
“There were two guys hurt during the game and now questionable, I have a problem with that. I want to make sure that we have our best players playing in the playoffs. It bothers me that we have a Defensive Player of the Year, All-Star, and a great player in De’Andre Hunter that are questionable for this game because in my opinion, all three of those plays were excessive. I would say we need to have a real discussion with it.
“Are they dirty plays? I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is, just like they want our players playing more games and all that, we also have to ensure that our players are playing in the playoffs. It bothers me as a fan of the game, as a stakeholder in this league that we have to find that line. What is passed excessive and then what are the sanctions when it goes on that, even if it’s not in malice or bad intention, because we need our best players to play in these great playoffs we have.”