On Monday morning, the Cavs bowed in the first match in their series against the Pacers. A 112-121 defeat, when they played at home, which places Cleveland in a kind of obligation to win so as not to be distant in the series.
The Kenny Atkinson team will have the opportunity to catch up next night, but it will surely have to continue to compose without three of its players: Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and’Andre Hunter.
The bench depth in perspective
Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and’Andre Hunter are still considered uncertain for the next match against the Pacers. If Garland has already missed three consecutive games due to a left toe injury, the injuries of the other two players are much more recent.
Mobley, elected best defender of the year, landed badly after missing a racket during the last quarter of the match 1. His foot was then planted near myles Turner. The Cavs player injured in the ankle and hosted in the locker room of his team.
During the following possession of the Cavs, Hunter injured his thumb after heading for the basket and was blocked by Bennedict Mathurin, which led to a fall of Hunter, who crashed heavily on the ground.
Kenny Atkinson angry
The Head Coach of the Cavs will therefore have to compose without three of its best players without three. A situation difficult to manage, especially since, according to him, his two players injured in the previous match were victims of faults not reported by the referees.
“I do not think they are coarse actions, but I think it has exceeded the limits of physical violence,” said Atkinson on Monday, reports ESPN. “This line we talked about, where it became excessive … I don’t think it was Indiana’s fault; I have a lot of respect for their game. But in fact, it is the fault of the referees. Perhaps it was not arbitration errors, and maybe I hardly interpret the regulations, but I have a problem with two of our best uncertain players for the match of tomorrow. I find it hard to understand. »»
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For the moment, the absence of the three players has not been formalized, even if it seems to be the trend. Potential absences which do not seem, in any case, do not worry Jarrett Allen.
“It’s a blow, but I think we understood that we can get there with the players we have, whatever happens,” said the pivot of the Cavs. “We did this during the series against the Heat, not to mention the past, but we are able to compensate for absences by those who are ready to get up. Kenny talks about it all year round: the depth of our workforce. We have a lot of players capable of taking off at the right time. »»
Again in front of their audience, the Cavs will have the opportunity to catch up next night, to relaunch themselves in the series and hope to go to Indiana on a parity score.
Photo credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
