CLEVELAND – Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter, the three starters for the Cleveland Cavaliers who missed Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers due to injuries, will return on Friday night for Game 3, according to sources.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game that the three players would participate in a pre-game workout before declaring their status.
Garland will make his first appearance in this series, but hasn’t played since Game 2 of the first round on April 23 due to a sprained left big toe. In his two playoff games, he averaged 24 points and seven assists on 51% shooting (41% from 3).Both Mobley and Hunter were injured during the final quarter of Game 1 on two plays that Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said he thought the contact was excessive, despite neither being called a foul.
Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, twisted his left ankle after falling on Pacers center Myles Turner after a jump shot. Hunter sprained his right thumb after Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin blocked his layup attempt.
The three players were listed as questionable before Friday’s game, but they also participated in a shooting workout earlier in the day, a step forward after not playing before Game 2 on Tuesday.
With three players out in Game 2, the Cavs squandered a 20-point lead in the first half, including seven points in the final 50 seconds, to fall into an 0-2 deficit before Friday.
