The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the playoffs riding high on a dominant 64-18 regular-season record. They made quick work of the Miami Heat in Round 1, sweeping them 4-0 and storming into the second round with momentum and belief.

Darius Garland was sidelined for the first two games against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In his absence, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers surprisingly dropped both games and appeared to be losing their grip on the series.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and All-Star guard Darius Garland returned to the starting lineup for the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. Key backup De’Andre Hunter was also active after missing Game 2 with a sprained right thumb.