Despite all the hype around Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, they couldn’t do a splendid job in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Indiana Pacers took a 1-0 lead in the series with a final score of 121-112, shocking the fans at the Rocket Arena. Meanwhile, two more injury concerns to Mobley and De’Andre Hunter will undoubtedly affect the Cavaliers.
Similarly, Darius Garland missed Game 1 with a toe injury, which impacted the Cavaliers’ offense. Having 2.8 three-pointers made this season, Garland’s invaluable points hurt the Cavaliers’ blueprint, and the Pacers took advantage of it.
With Mobley and Hunter in doubt, this series could take a U-turn for the Cavaliers.
Injury Concerns to Evan Mobley Derail the Cavaliers’ Ambitions
In the hard-fought Game 1 loss, the Cavaliers stumbled with shooting, and now these injury concerns provide a head-scratching moment for head coach Kenny Atkinson. An NBA insider, Evan Dammarell, broke the news regarding these injuries.
De’Andre Hunter suffered a dislocated thumb on his shooting hand earlier during Game 1. He went for a monster dunk when a heavy contact popped his thumb out.
It’s a severe injury that will probably keep him out of Game 2. Mobley rolled his ankle after trying a hook shot later in the game. The player landed awkwardly on an opposition player’s foot, putting coach Atkinson in a challenging position.
Hence, there’s a ‘real concern’ regarding these two players’ availability for tomorrow’s game. Mobley, in particular, remains key to the Cavaliers with his size and becoming a two-way output player.
There’s “real concern” about Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter’s availability for tomorrow’s game, per @AmNotEvan pic.twitter.com/bU25khs7Da
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 5, 2025
Despite the injury, Mobley played 36 minutes and scored 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. In the meantime, during these playoffs, the Cavaliers’ forward averages 17.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. Defensively, he’s excellent, hassling opponents to make tough shots and easily grabbing boards. Without him, the Cavaliers struggle inside the paint both in the offensive and defensive phases.
On the other hand, Hunter remains another player who comes up and scores quick points. The wingman averages 12.6 points in these playoffs and boasts an impressive eFG% of 59.8. Hence, with the Cavaliers having scorers throughout the roster, these two injuries could cause an issue for Atkinson to run plays.
With Garland injured, the dependence on Donovan Mitchell remains at an all-time high. During Game 1, we saw how Mitchell became the primary go-to man for scoring. He had 33 points in the game, which looks pretty from the outside.
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However, analyzing his game shows that he shot 13/30 with an eFG% of 45.0. Mitchell’s struggles are easy to decode because he’s given the burden of scoring for the Cavaliers without Garland. Although he can come up with big points, this might lead to inconsistent performances.
Game 2 remains a must-win, as the Pacers can take a priceless 2-0 lead. If they lose Game 2, visiting the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and coming home victorious is challenging.
They had a 29-11 home record in the regular season, and those Pacers fans will proudly support their team.
