Why Cavs Fans Shouldn't Be Worried About Shorthanded Team Against Pacers

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be light on the ground for Sunday’s (tonight) clash with the Indiana Pacers, but there isn’t a cause for immediate concern.

The Cavs come into this game with a playoff spot secured, and they still hold onto hope of climbing into the third seed. They are 1.5 games behind the New York Knicks.

But against the Pacers tonight, Cleveland will be without the services of Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, Evan Mobley, Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson, all of whom are out with injuries.

Jarrett Allen (right knee injury management), Evan Mobley (left calf injury management), Sam Merrill (left hamstring injury management), Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bone bruise) and Dean Wade (right ankle sprain) are all out tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) April 4, 2026

Why is there no real concern

While Tyson has a left toe injury, and Wade has an ankle sprain, the other three: Allen, Merrill and Mobley are on injury management, which doesn’t indicate any real issues heading into the playoffs.

Allen, who has had injury concerns this season, is absent with a right knee injury. Merrill will sit out the game against the lowly Pacers due to a left hamstring issue, and Mobley is being monitored for a calf strain.

Cleveland is comfortably sitting in fourth place in the East with a 48-29 record, 3.5 games ahead of the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks with only five games to play. The Cavaliers' magic number for finishing fourth and gaining home court is two. But Atkinson is pleased with having a playoff spot inked.

"Obviously, we want more, but yeah, we celebrate getting into the playoffs," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. "You never underestimate the importance of making it because we've all been on the outside at some point.

"It's hard to be in that group who makes it. We're happy to be one of them again this season."

The Cavaliers punched their ticket for the playoffs for the fourth season on the bounce with a 118-111 win at the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. It matches the third-longest postseason streak in franchise history.

And as they head into their game with Indiana, the team that eliminated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals of last season’s playoffs, they are aware that load management is important ahead of this season’s playoffs.

Cleveland has had their share of injury issues this season, and only in the last month have they been reasonably healthy, so it’s important to keep players healthy when the regular season ends.

Playing a Pacers team that has suffered a drastic turnaround from last season, is eliminated from playoff contention this term, and is part of a three-team battle for the worst record in the league with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.