Pacers Could Benefit From Long Cavaliers Injury Report

The Indiana Pacers are heading home with a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they will be looking to put the No. 1 seed on the brink of elimination. Indiana has benefited from inconsistent play from the Cavaliers, but Cleveland has also been dealing with some injuries.

Heading into Game 3 of the series, the Cavaliers have a long list of players on the injury report. Star center Evan Mobley, star guard Darius Garland, and forward De'Andre Hunter have all been listed as questionable for the game.

Atkinson: Evan Mobley (ankle) questionable for Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 8, 2025

It remains to be seen if any of these players will be able to suit up for Game 3, but they all did miss Game 2. Cleveland struggled to maintain any consistency on offense without these players, and they could be in some trouble if they can't go again.

More Pacers news: NBA Admits Major Mistake That Led to Pacers Game 2 Win

Indiana will be looking to defend home-court advantage in this game, and they have been one of the better home teams in the NBA. The Pacers will look to take advantage of the situation, especially if the Cavaliers are shorthanded once again.

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton offered some thoughts on how Indiana was able to steal Game 2 from the Cavaliers.

"We wore on them for 48 minutes," Haliburton said. "They came out and pressed us full court. They played more our style and by the end of the game everybody was tired, but they were tired. That's part of the wear-down effect of 48 minutes."

Haliburton, like the other members of the Pacers, knows that the series is far from over at this point. The team still has a lot of work to do, but they are in a great spot as Game 3 approaches.

If the Pacers can grab Game 3, they will likely reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season. No NBA team in history has ever come back from a 3-0 series hole before, so the Pacers will look to put a stranglehold on this series in Game 3.

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.