How the Cavaliers' injured players fought through pain to win Game 3
INDIANAPOLIS — This story is not going to be about Donovan Mitchell scoring more than 40 points in a playoff game, again, although that's exactly what he did Friday night in what his coach said was his 'best performance of the year.'
Nor will it be about Max Strus, who scored 20 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and four quarters of defensive harassment against Tyrese Haliburton, who was taken out of his game. Mitchell's coach, Strus' coach, said Strus is 'becoming our forceful leader … our enforcer.'
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You also aren't going to read about Ty Jerome's struggles in this series, not past this paragraph, even though a runner-up for NBA Sixth Man of the Year has lost his shot and, through three games, hasn't been quick enough to stay with the Indiana Pacers' speedy guards. Kenny Atkinson — you know, Mitchell's coach, Strus' coach and Jerome's coach — said: 'I love Ty. I know what he can bring. We need him. We need him in this series.'
Any of these topics would make for excellent discussion after the Cavs' 126-104 Game 3 win over the Pacers, which cut their deficit in this Eastern Conference semifinal series to 2-1 with Game 4 Sunday.
But this space is meant to tie a bow around the dominant story surrounding Cleveland this week: injuries to three vitally important players that were described to the public as though any of them could have been played through in Game 2 when, in fact, none of them likely could have. Then, they all returned for Game 3 with their team's season on the brink.
Of course that's the story. And hopefully for the Cavs, it's one that is, for all intents and purposes, over. A collective page has been turned, and the remainder of this series will feature strength on strength.
'We (only) get one day recovery here, so a quick turnaround,' Atkinson said. 'Just hope they can … be ready to go (Sunday).'
Atkinson, of course, was talking about Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter, who all returned Friday after missing at least one game — in Garland's case, four in a row.
Statistically speaking, Mobley, whose left foot was in a walking boot Sunday night and Monday after spraining his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 1, was the best of the three returnees with 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals. He caught lobs and slammed them home, and at least two of his blocks were of the soaring variety; Mobley met teardrop shots high in the sky before they were on their way down, so as to avoid a goaltend.
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Garland, who has been dealing with a sprained left big toe since the end of Game 2 against the Miami Heat more than two weeks ago, shot 3-of-11 and committed four turnovers but scored 10 points. His mere presence on the court, with the ball in his hands as the Cavs set up their offense, paid enormous dividends for Mitchell, who didn't have the added pressure of handling the ball in addition to scoring, and for the team at large, having fumbled away Game 2 primarily because it couldn't get the ball up the court without Garland.
💯 @dariusgarland22 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/id4sUq739r
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 10, 2025
Hunter, who sprained his thumb in Game 1 against the Pacers on Sunday, scored 8 points and shot 2-of-6. His performance is probably the hardest to measure of the three in terms of impact, but he was needed when absent Tuesday and will surely be counted on as the series moves along.
Collectively, though, numbers aside, the three players coming back while clearly less than whole meant everything to the Cavs.
'We appreciate them fighting through whatever they're going through,' Strus said. 'We're grateful for them, and hopefully they can do it again on Sunday.'
Mobley could barely put pressure on his left ankle Tuesday for Game 2, and Hunter's thumb was too swollen for him to shoot. With Garland, there was perhaps more of a chance heading into Tuesday morning that he might play — he had told several people he intended to play — but ultimately, the pain was too much and he was out again.
After Tuesday's game, I reported, citing two league sources who do not work for the Cavs but know them well, that Cleveland is one of the most conservative teams in the NBA when it comes to injury management. As far as players are concerned, this is a positive thing. It tells them, and maybe potential free agents down the line, that the Cavs are willing to protect their players.
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Which is why these 'questionable' designations on injury reports for players who are not going to be able to play, for playoff games, are confounding. Listing them as 'questionable' is the opposite of protecting them, at least in the court of public opinion.
Fans and national TV analysts who were ripping these players all week know what 'questionable' is supposed to mean, and in their minds, there shouldn't be a question in the playoffs. If a player could play, he should try. People don't — and I am not saying they should — spend much time considering that perhaps the franchise is trying to play mind games with the opponent by making it think injured players might suit up. What has happened — last year with Jarrett Allen and this year with Garland (and Hunter and Mobley for one game) — is Cavs fans questioning why players aren't trying to fight through injuries in the playoffs, especially when the team is losing.
No one wins in that situation.
'Y'all don't understand what I'm going through,' Garland said after Friday's win. 'I mean, everybody has their opinion. I'm going out there and playing basketball. Everybody has their nicks and bruises around this time. So, going out and trying to win the series.'
Garland said he played Friday because the Cavs were trailing 0-2 in the series. He didn't want to discuss his injury. For instance, he was asked how much pain he was playing through and said 'none,' which obviously wasn't true.
'I know DG. Obviously, he's playing through some stuff,' Atkinson said in a nod toward the obvious, which is that Garland is hurting. 'Just our ability to get the ball over half court. Game 2 we lost in Cleveland because we really struggled with their pressure. It was great to have him back.'
Atkinson also said Garland was 'taking one for the team' by playing through considerable pain. 'I think the 2-0 situation, he had to push through a lot tonight,' Atkinson said. 'So, hopefully he recovers. Even if we can get 15 to 20 minutes from him, we need it. We need another ballhandler. He can create separation, he can create advantages, even if it's not going to be perfect with the way his health is right now.'
Mobley said he wanted to play in Game 2, but 'I definitely couldn't' with the severely limited weight he could put on his left foot Tuesday. After the Cavs lost, he was determined to play the next game, as of Wednesday morning.
OOP there is is! #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/8b4TgQ6vBL
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 10, 2025
Mobley said he wasn't surprised by how well he played — he was comfortable at practice Thursday and at the morning shootaround Friday — but he looked like the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a young man who is about to learn he was voted onto an All-NBA team. Other than a few shaky moments early on with dropping bounce passes to him, Mobley showed few signs of rust or limitations. He was also at the head of a 3-2 zone Atkinson unleashed on the Pacers, which suffocated them and seemed like a brilliant maneuver, though Atkinson said the Cavs used the new defense because of their injuries.
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If Cleveland is planning on getting only a fraction of Garland's best, and hoping it's enough, it has to be comforting for it to know it's getting close to the best version of Mobley straight away.
As for Hunter, we didn't get a chance to speak with him Friday (not his fault — reporters didn't approach him). His thumb looked swollen, but he made a 3-pointer and added five rebounds in about 21 minutes. He moved well, and he'll probably feel more comfortable shooting Sunday.
'We're a different team out there,' Atkinson said, meaning the Cavs are much better with those three in uniform.
If they stay in uniform, this storyline ends. They can get to writing that next chapter — the one where maybe, just maybe, the Cavs become the sixth NBA team to lose the first two games at home but eventually win the series.
(Photo of Evan Mobley and Bennedict Mathurin: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
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