The Cleveland Cavaliers entered this year’s playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs then cruised through a first-round series with the Miami Heat.
But the Cavs’ second-round series with the Indiana Pacers proved to be much more challenging. The Pacers’ 114-105 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday secured the Eastern Semifinals win for Indianapolis. Indy now awaits the winner of the Knicks-Celtics series.
Amid the criticism over the Cavs’ disappointing playoff run, the team’s star guard Donovan Mitchell got caught in former NBA player Kenyon Martin’s crosshairs.
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During a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ “Gil’s Arena Podcast,” Martin also took aim at Mitchell’s teammates, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter. Martin expressed his displeasure with those three players’ lack of availability in the Eastern Semifinals.
PACERS ELIMINATE CAVS TO ADVANCE TO 2ND STRAIGHT EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
“You don’t suit up, bro, give me something? We’re already down Darius Garland, we know he ain’t healthy. We know this going into it, he missed Game 1. So him playing in Game 2 is slim and none. We’ve got to this point DeAndre Hunter, when you came in we started playing better. Evan Mobley we rely on you nightly, it ain’t just your points, it’s your defensive presence, it’s you being out there, it’s something that we could use. When they didn’t play in Game 2 I’m like, ‘Oh man they ain’t going to beat nobody, ain’t got no heart,’” Martin said.
“If I’m Donovan Mitchell, I’m going to that mother f—-r like, ‘Yo, man we got to do something. Whoever you’ve got to go get, whoever you’ve got to get rid of.”
Mobley aggravated an ankle during Game 1 of the second round series, while Hunter dislocated a thumb. Both players sat out of Game 2, but were available in Game 3. After the open game of the East semifinals, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson suggested Indiana’s level of physicality contributed to the injuries.
“I don’t think they were dirty plays, but I think it passed a line of physicality,” Atkinson said.
“That line we’ve kind of been talking about where it became excessive. So, No. 1 was the non-call on De’Andre’s layup, which I don’t know … I felt he got absolutely obliterated and dislocated his thumb, so he’ll be questionable. And then Evan, around the same time, I can’t remember if it was before or after, (Myles) Turner contests his two-point shot, comes under, clearly under him. … I think you guys saw him limping the rest of the game.”
Mobley started and scored 18 points in the 120-119 win, the Cavs lone victory in the series. Hunter finished Game 3 with 8 points off the bench. Meanwhile, Garland battled a toe injury that he sustained in the Cavs first round against the Heat.
The Pacers eliminated the Cavaliers in five games.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers entered this year’s playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs then cruised through a first-round series with the Miami Heat.
But the Cavs’ second-round series with the Indiana Pacers proved to be much more challenging. The Pacers’ 114-105 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday secured the Eastern Semifinals win for Indianapolis. Indy now awaits the winner of the Knicks-Celtics series.
Amid the criticism over the Cavs’ disappointing playoff run, the team’s star guard Donovan Mitchell got caught in former NBA player Kenyon Martin’s crosshairs.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
During a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ “Gil’s Arena Podcast,” Martin also took aim at Mitchell’s teammates, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter. Martin expressed his displeasure with those three players’ lack of availability in the Eastern Semifinals.
PACERS ELIMINATE CAVS TO ADVANCE TO 2ND STRAIGHT EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
“You don’t suit up, bro, give me something? We’re already down Darius Garland, we know he ain’t healthy. We know this going into it, he missed Game 1. So him playing in Game 2 is slim and none. We’ve got to this point DeAndre Hunter, when you came in we started playing better. Evan Mobley we rely on you nightly, it ain’t just your points, it’s your defensive presence, it’s you being out there, it’s something that we could use. When they didn’t play in Game 2 I’m like, ‘Oh man they ain’t going to beat nobody, ain’t got no heart,’” Martin said.
“If I’m Donovan Mitchell, I’m going to that mother f—-r like, ‘Yo, man we got to do something. Whoever you’ve got to go get, whoever you’ve got to get rid of.”
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The Pacers eliminated the Cavaliers in five games.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
