Cavs biggest strength might turn into a nightmare in playoff matchup with Pacers

The Cleveland Cavaliers were already without Darius Garland in Game 1 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and now they could be without two more key cogs. That’s an unfortunate turn of events for a team that was healthy for most of the season. It could also be the nail in their championship-hopeful coffin. 

According to Evan Dammarell, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said there’s real concern over the availability of Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter for Game 2. If Donovan Mitchell has to carry this team by himself, it might not be enough to keep the Indiana Pacers from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season. 

The Indiana Pacers stunned the Cavs in Cleveland with a 121-112 win in Game 1. Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard led the way with 23 and 22 points, respectively. Haliburton added 13 assists. All five starters scored in double figures. They also shot 19-for-36 from 3-point range.

The Cleveland Cavaliers season could be hanging by a thread with untimely injuries

No way does Cleveland’s season end this way right? They had the second-best record in the NBA and were one of three teams — one of two teams in the East — to surpass 60 wins this year. This was very much a team that had every opportunity to win a championship. 

Health wasn’t an issue for this team. Now, all of a sudden, three massively important players could be inactive for Tuesday's Game 2. An awful turn of events. The fact that Mobley and Hunter got injured in the fourth quarter and within seconds of each other hurts even more. 

It makes you wonder if the Cavs can actually win a championship without LeBron James. I believe they can, but this has to be some sort of curse right? A team that was largely healthy all year managed to lose three players by the second round of the playoffs. 

The silver lining is the Cavaliers can formulate a game plan without all three players versus having to adjust on the fly like they did on Sunday. It doesn’t make it any better knowing they could be without three key players for at least one more game. 

As for the Pacers, they won’t be able to dodge the notion that they’re only having playoff success because they’re beating ailing teams. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks last year, who were without Khris Middleton; they beat the New York Knicks, who were without Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle. 

Then they went on to beat the Bucks again this year who had Damian Lillard for all of one game and he ended up tearing his Achilles tendon in the series. Now this. The Pacers are a good team, though — and shouldn't be ashamed of beating who they play.

Now the only thing that we’ll talk about is how the Pacers only won because the Cavs were injured and the Cavs didn’t win a championship because of untimely injuries.