Kenny Atkinson’s biggest concern going into Cleveland’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against Indiana was trying to match up against the Pacers’ quick-tempo offense.
Compounding matters for Atkinson is that the Cavaliers might have to go into Tuesday’s Game 2 short-handed.
Forwards Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter have joined Darius Garland among those who questionable when the top-seeded Cavaliers try to even the series at home.
Mobley and Hunter were both injured in a 26-second span in the fourth quarter of what was a close game before Indiana took control and pulled away for a .
Mobley sprained his left ankle when he was boxed out by Indiana’s Myles Turner and didn’t have room to land after his turnaround hook shot went in to put the Cavs up 99-98 with 8:10 remaining.
On Cleveland’s ensuing possession, Hunter dislocated the thumb on his shooting hand after Bennedict Mathurin blocked his running dunk attempt. Hunter landed hard on his right hand out of bounds after the shot was blocked. The Cavs lost the replay review when Mathurin’s block was considered clean.
Atkinson said he did not consider the plays to be dirty, but thought they passed a line of physicality and became excessive. He’s also hoping this doesn’t become a theme throughout the series.
“I don’t think this is on Indiana. But the fact of the matter, I think that’s on the referees,” Atkinson said after practice on Monday. “Maybe they were missed calls or maybe I’m misinterpreting the rules, but I have a problem when we got two of our best players doubtful for tomorrow’s game. It’s hard for me to get my head around that. And there were no calls on either one.
“I haven’t talked about referees all year and I think the referees in this league are phenomenal and they do a great job. That was a darn good crew last night, but for some reason it bothers me that we’re dealing with this. At least there should be some repercussions in terms of making the call.”
Garland has missed the last three games due to a sprained left big toe. The All-Star point guard will give it a go Tuesday afternoon to see if he can return to the lineup.
Garland’s presence on defense was certainly missed on Sunday after Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 13 assists, along with three blocked shots. The Cavs were outscored by 10 points when Sam Merrill, Garland’s replacement, was on the floor.
“Halliburton is obviously the head of the snake with that pace. They have anyone that can bring it. They all sprint to their spots and we’ve got to be a little better with that,” Merrill said.
Atkinson thought the Cavaliers would come out with the same focus they had when they swept the Miami Heat. Instead, they were physically pushed around in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like we were challenged and focused to stamp that series (against Miami) out. I thought we would come out with the same focus and all that stuff and for some reason we didn’t. At the end of the day it’s credit to Indiana because they took it to us quite honestly,” Atkinson said.
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers
When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 7 p.m. EDT (TNT)
Series: Pacers lead, 1-0
BetMGM says: Cavaliers by 9.5
What to Know: Cleveland will need to do a better job both shooting and defending 3-pointers. The Cavaliers were 9 of 38 from beyond the arc, only the fourth time this season they shot under 25%, and were 5 of 20 with open shots at the basket. Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points, but was 1 of 11 from long distance. Indiana was 19 of 36, including 11 of 19 on open looks. Andrew Nembhard had 23 points, including five 3-pointers. He is 12 of 19 from beyond the arc in his last three playoff games. The Pacers are trying to go up 2-0 on the road for the first time since a 1994 first-round series against Orlando. Cleveland hasn’t dropped its first two at home in the playoffs since 1996 in the first round against the Knicks.
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 9:30 p.m. EDT (TNT)
Series: Game 1
BetMGM says: Timberwolves by 6.5
What to Know: The seventh-seeded Warriors took three of the four meetings in the regular season, including both games in Minnesota. The teams, though, have not faced each other since Jan. 15, when the Warriors had a 116-115 victory on the road. This is the third time the sixth and seventh seeds are playing each other. The last time was in 2023, when the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers beat the Warriors in six games. Golden State’s Draymond Green needs three assists to reach 1,000 for his career in the playoffs. He would become the 15th player in NBA history to reach that milestone. Minnesota has advanced beyond the first rounds in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.
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