Cavs Will Need Darius Garland To Overtake Pacers, And The Reasons Are Many

The first real stress test of the Cavaliers’ postseason arrived earlier than expected — and there’s no time to ease into it.

Cleveland dropped Game 1 of its Eastern Conference semifinal series 121-112 to the Indiana Pacers, a team that thrives on tempo and efficiency. The Cavs could’ve used Darius Garland’s all-around play, especially his ability to make shots. But with the point guard nursing a painful toe injury, the Cavs were left trying to keep up and fell behind quickly.

The Pacers pushed the tempo, recording a 99.5 rating that outpaced nearly every game in their first-round series against Milwaukee. But this wasn’t new territory for the Cavs, who played nearly 50 regular-season games at an even faster pace and posted a 40-7 record in those contests.

The problem was how they played, not how fast. Garland’s absence forced Ty Jerome into a prominent role. While Jerome finished with 21 points and eight assists, his 8-for-20 shooting and lack of foot speed stood out against Indiana’s aggressive defense.

The Cavs scored 70 points in the paint — and lost. Jerome took 20 shots, second only to Donovan Mitchell. Evan Mobley, on the other hand, got just 13 attempts despite finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. That shot distribution won’t cut it in a series against a team lacking interior size.

“I know he’s desperate to play,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland. “We need his speed and shot-making.”

Without Garland, Mitchell’s usage rate spiked, Sam Merrill started, and Isaac Okoro saw critical fourth-quarter minutes. It added up to a clunky offensive effort. The Cavs leaned on isolation plays and tough jumpers rather than the fluid ball movement that defined their regular-season success.

Meanwhile, Indiana caught fire from beyond the arc, shooting 53 percent — better than all but three games during the regular season. Cleveland shot just 24 percent from deep, with Mitchell going 1-for-11.

Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith punished Cleveland’s poor perimeter defense and still hit contested threes. The Pacers dictated the terms on both ends and seized control of the series.

Garland played a career-high 75 games this season. If this were January, the Cavs might let him sit. But it’s May, and the window is shrinking.

“We don’t want him out there at 60 percent,” Atkinson said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Maybe not. But if Garland is missing much longer, the Cavs might not make it out of this series alive.

Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists during the regular season, scoring 27 points in the Cavs’ win over the Miami Heat in the first game of the playoffs.

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