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Jamal Collier
CLEVELAND — Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter — the three Cleveland Cavaliers players who sat out Game 2 of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers because of injuries — were back in the lineup Friday night for Game 3.
Garland and Mobley returned to their usual spots in the starting lineup, with Hunter entering the game off the bench early in the first quarter..
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game that all three players would go through a pregame workout before declaring their availability.
Garland returned for his first appearance in this series, but he had not played since Game 2 of the first round on April 23 because of a sprained left toe. In his two playoff games, he averaged 24 points and seven assists on 51% shooting (41% from 3).
Mobley and Hunter were injured during the fourth quarter of Game 1 on separate plays in which Atkinson said he thought the contact was excessive. Neither play was whistled for a foul.
Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, sprained his left ankle after landing on Pacers center Myles Turner after a jump shot. Hunter sprained his right thumb after having a layup attempt blocked by Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
All three players had been listed as questionable entering Friday’s game, but they also participated in shootaround earlier in the day, a step forward after not taking the court before Game 2 on Tuesday.
With all three players sidelined in Game 2, the Cavs blew a 20-point first-half lead, including seven points in the final 50 seconds, to fall into a 2-0 series deficit entering Friday.
