Cleveland Cavaliers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (thumb) is listed as questionable on the injury report for Friday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers. The series had an unfortunate start for Hunter, as he injured his right thumb in Game 1 and may now be out for a second consecutive contest. Cleveland also lost Evan Mobley (ankle) for Game 2, giving Javonte Green an opportunity to rejoin the rotation. However, his role was very limited, and Green finished scoreless in 10 minutes. Isaac Okoro, whose playing time increased to 29 minutes in the second unit, did not provide much offensively either, going for five points. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson may need to rely mainly on his starters to get back into the series if none of the injured players return for Friday's action.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley (ankle) has been listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of Friday's Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland hopes Mobley can return from an ankle sprain suffered in the series opener. With him out, Dean Wade received an opportunity to start in Tuesday's Game 2. The 28-year-old was among the game's leading rebounders with 10 boards but contributed only three points on 1-for-4 shooting. Wade also recorded three assists and one steal in 30 minutes. He will likely maintain an expanded role if Mobley cannot return on Friday.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (toe) is considered questionable for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. He is still nursing a toe injury, which has kept Garland sidelined for five games. Cleveland has used Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome in his spot in the starting lineup. Jerome got his big opportunity in Game 2 but failed miserably, finishing with two points on 1-for-14 shooting. This may prompt Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson to return to Merrill if Garland is not cleared to play on Friday. Merrill notched 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals on Tuesday, marking his best postseason performance by far.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome had a rough outing in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, shooting a horrible 1-for-14 from the field to finish a 120-119 loss with two points. Jerome took Sam Merrill's spot in the starting unit and struggled right out of the gate, with Pacers center Myles Turner blocking a pair of his shots. The 27-year-old made his only field goal early in the third quarter. He finished 0-for-4 from outside and had two rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes. With Darius Garland (toe) injured, Jerome must do much more for the Cavaliers, who are now in an uncomfortable 2-0 series hole after losing two home games.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 48 points in Tuesday's playoff clash with the Pacers. He added nine assists, five rebounds, four steals, and one block. With Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle), and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) sidelined, most had anticipated Mitchell would be even more potent on the scoring end. Unfortunately, his efforts on both sides of the ball weren't enough, with Tyrese Haliburton draining a three-point shot to win the contest and put the Pacers up 2-0 in the series. Mitchell has combined for 60 shot attempts in the first two games of the series. But it's tough to imagine he'll see the same level of involvement in Game 3 on Friday night, especially if Garland, Mobley, and/or Hunter are back in the mix. Still, Mitchell will surely be a popular DFS option on Friday after such a splendid showing, no matter who else is on the floor for the Cavs.