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Jamal CollierMay 9, 2025, 07:04 PM ET
- Jamal Collier is an NBA reporter at ESPN. Collier covers the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and the Midwest region of the NBA, including stories such as Minnesota's iconic jersey swap between Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. He has been at ESPN since Sept. 2021 and previously covered the Bulls for the Chicago Tribune. You can reach out to Jamal on Twitter @JamalCollier or via email [email protected].
CLEVELAND -- Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter -- the three Cleveland Cavaliers players who sat out Game 2 of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers because of injuries -- will return Friday night for Game 3, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game that all three players will go through a pregame workout before declaring their availability.
Garland will be making his first appearance in this series, but he has not played since Game 2 of the first round on April 23 because of a sprained left toe. In his two playoff games, he averaged 24 points and seven assists on 51% shooting (41% from 3).
Mobley and Hunter were injured during the fourth quarter of Game 1 on separate plays in which Atkinson said he thought the contact was excessive. Neither play was whistled for a foul.
Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, sprained his left ankle after landing on Pacers center Myles Turner after a jump shot. Hunter sprained his right thumb after having a layup attempt blocked by Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
All three players have been listed as questionable entering Friday's game, but they also participated in shootaround earlier in the day, a step forward after not taking the court before Game 2 on Tuesday.
With all three players sidelined in Game 2, the Cavs blew a 20-point first half lead, including seven points in the final 50 seconds to fall into an 0-2 deficit entering Friday.
