2 min read • April 30, 2025
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The Indiana Pacers have jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without three key players in Game 2. As the series shifts to Indiana, the Cavs face mounting pressure to respond on the road.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were without three key players in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, as Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle), and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) all missed the matchup due to injuries. Garland, a two-time All-Star, missed his fourth straight game with a sprained big toe suffered in Game 2 of the Cavs' first-round series against Miami. Mobley, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, injured his ankle late in Game 1 after landing on Myles Turner’s foot during a hook shot attempt. Hunter dislocated his left thumb in the fourth quarter of the same game after a blocked dunk attempt by Bennedict Mathurin led to a hard fall.
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, which might have seemed like a surprise to some, but the Bucks were facing injury issues on their end of the 5 game series. Giannis Antetokounmpo was dealing with a shoulder injury the last few weeks, but was able to play through it, but the bigger injury was to that of Damian Lillard who had already missed significant time with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, only to then rupture his Achilles in his left ankle, an injury that could cost him next season as well.
Indiana comes into the game relatively healthy with their only rotation player facing injury being Bennedict Mathurin. He’s currently dealing with an abdominal contusion and missed Game 4 of the series. He’s been a heavy rotation player off the bench averaging 15 points per game this series.
With the Cavaliers injuries it will be an uphill battle as the series now heads to Indiana for the next two games.
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