Cavaliers' Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, De'Andre Hunter all available, playing in Game 3
Entering what is essentially a must-win game for Cleveland on Friday night, already down 0-2 to Indiana, the Cavaliers three key players out last game are returning for Game 3.
Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) are all available for Game 3, with Garland and Mobley returning to their starting roles.
ROUND 2, GAME 3 STARTERS. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/THTQNrfM5C
That starting five, the Cavaliers ' most-used lineup during the regular season and had a dominant +12.5 net rating, has played just 23 minutes across six playoff games due to injury (and has a -5.1 net rating in those minutes).
Cleveland needs Garland and Mobley to take some of the ball-handling and shot-creation load off Donovan Mitchell, who scored 48 points in Game 2 and got the Cavaliers out to a 20-point lead, but wore down during the fourth quarter as that lead slipped away. Mitchell was 2-of-6 in the fourth and Indiana got the win.
Garland has been battling turf toe going back to the regular season, but it was aggravated in Cleveland's first-round series against Miami and he sat out the final two games of that series and the first two of this one. Mobley and Garland were injured on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter of Game 1 against Indiana. Mobley rolled his ankle when he was crowded by Myles Turner while taking a shot and landed on Turner's foot. Hunter suffered a dislocated thumb when Bennedict Mathurin blocked his dunk attempt. After the game, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said he didn't think the Pacers' plays were dirty but that the officials need to better protecting player safety.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever Turn Heads With Aliyah Boston Announcement on Tuesday
Indiana Fever Turn Heads With Aliyah Boston Announcement on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever suffered a brutal loss to Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream, falling to 4-5 on the season. Advertisement Indiana lost 77-58 in the team's fifth straight game without Caitlin Clark, who led the team in scoring and assists before falling with the injury. During the team's loss to the Dream, Fever star Aliyah Boston entered her name in franchise history. Boston passed Jessica Davenport for the fifth most blocks in franchise history. During her career with the Fever, currently playing in her third season, Boston has posted 113 blocks. The Fever reacted to the news on social media, showing support to the Indiana star. "Moving up," posted the official social media account of the Indiana Fever. "Congratulations to Aliyah Boston on moving into fifth place on our franchise's all-time blocks list." Upon the release of the announcement, some fans took to social media, sharing their thoughts on Aliyah Boston etching her name in franchise history for the Indiana Fever. Advertisement "Wahoo ! Congrats AB!!! Lucky to watch you climb the ladder. Tough loss but you never disappoint always a player that never has quit in her," said one fan. "Congratulations Aliyah," said another fan. "She sucks! 7 points in 30 minutes tonight. How much is she stealing to play basketball," mentioned one fan. "Leaving here with something," commented one fan. "YEAH AB," said one fan. "Amazing work Aliyah," said another fan. Indiana Fever guards Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie CunninghamGrace Smth- INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images Throughout her third season with the Indiana Fever, Aliyah Boston posted 15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. In the loss to the Atlanta Dream, Boston tallied seven points, four rebounds and five assists. She finished the game with one total block. Advertisement Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads with Major Announcement on Monday Related: WNBA Team Releases Former No. 1 College Basketball Recruit on Sunday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stephanie White Assigns Blame For Fever's Third Loss Without Caitlin Clark
Stephanie White Assigns Blame For Fever's Third Loss Without Caitlin Clark originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After winning two straight games without Caitlin Clark, Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever saw their fortunes take a turn. Advertisement White and the Fever were handed their third loss without Clark on Tuesday afternoon, falling to 4-5 on the young 2025 WNBA season with a 77-58 loss to the Atlanta Dream. Natasha Howard led the way for Indiana, tallying 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds, her first double-double of the season. However, the Dream's frontcourt of Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones proved to be too much. Griner notched nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and four rebounds, while Jones added 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds. They also helped the Dream take full control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Fever 23-9. Advertisement And the two Atlanta stars left their mark on White. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.© Grace Smith-INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images After the loss, White addressed the media in her postgame press conference. When asked what went wrong in the third quarter, she said her team lacked physicality in the post. "Their physicality on the defensive end really affected us," White said. "It took us out of what we wanted to do and forced us to rush offensively. They've got really good shifty guards that can get downhill and and we didn't do a good job of guarding our yard or being in rotation." White proceeded to comment on Atlanta's post players. "They've got great post players," White added. "They got Olympians on this roster, right, and our ability to match that physicality on the defensive end, our positioning, our connectedness, I thought wasn't there, and they took advantage of it." White and the Fever will now hope to get Clark back for their next game on Saturday, facing Sabrina Ionescu and the defending champion New York Liberty for the second time this year. Advertisement Related: Aliyah Boston Makes WNBA History Without Caitlin Clark This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever Make Natasha Howard Announcement After Blowout Loss
Indiana Fever Make Natasha Howard Announcement After Blowout Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever have struggled for most of their time without Caitlin Clark. Clark has been sidelined for five straight games, where the Fever have earned a 2-3 record in her absence. Advertisement On Tuesday, the Fever played the Atlanta Dream for the third time this season. In the absence of Caitlin Clark, the Fever suffered a 77-58 loss to the Dream. With the absence of arguably their best player, Natasha Howard took over for the Fever. Howard finished the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds. After the game, the Indiana Fever announced Howard as the "Stat Leader of the Game." "Natasha Howard with a double-double at Atlanta," posted the official social media account of the Indiana Fever. Throughout the season with the Indiana Fever, Natasha Howard has posted 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Advertisement Howard is currently playing in her first season back with the Fever. She once played for the franchise, having been drafted by Indiana in 2014. Howard played two seasons with the Fever, beginning her career jumping through various franchises. She has played for the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.© Grace Smith-INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images While Natasha Howard holds down the fort, the Indiana Fever are waiting on the return of Caitlin Clark. Throughout her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. She was leading the Fever in average points and assists before going down with the injury, which has kept her sidelined for the past five games. Advertisement Clark will have a chance to return in the Fever's next matchup, set to face the New York Liberty on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads With Aliyah Boston Announcement on Tuesday Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads with Major Announcement on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
