The Cleveland Cavaliers are at home on Friday night as they host the Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference matchup as part of NBA Cup group play.
Cleveland enters Friday’s game with a 10-6 record after losing at home to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard De’Andre Hunter (12)Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets, De’Andre Hunter led the way for the Cavaliers as he recorded 25 points and four rebounds while Donovan Mitchell added 21 points and three rebounds of his own.
Now Cleveland will try to bounce back as they seek their 11th victory of the season on Friday night in a matchup against a struggling Pacers team.
On the other side, Indiana enters Friday’s contest with a 2-13 record after defeating the Charlotte Hornets at home on Wednesday night.
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Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00)Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Bennedict Mathurin led the way for the Pacers in Wednesday’s victory as he ended the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Pascal Siakam recorded 22 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
While both teams are looking to grab another victory in Friday night’s matchup, both squads may be without multiple key players due to injuries.
Pacers Injury Report, Will Aaron Nesmith Play?
For the Pacers, they have six players listed on their injury report for Friday’s game, all of whom have been ruled out.
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Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23)© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Indiana has ruled out Aaron Nesmith due to a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for at least a month.
The Pacers have also ruled out Obi Toppin, Johnny Furphy, Tyrese Haliburton, Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson.
© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
With Indiana’s roster still decimated by injuries to begin the season, they will need others to step up on Friday night as they try to grab their third victory of the season.
Cavaliers Injury Report, Will Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen Play?
On the other side, the Cavaliers have five players listed on their injury report, including both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) © Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Cleveland has listed Garland as questionable for Friday due to a toe injury that has caused him to miss the last five games, but he is tracking towards a potential return against the Pacers.
Despite this, Cleveland may elect to sit him on Friday and if that is the case, Lonzo Ball and Craig Porter Jr. could be in line for larger roles, especially with Jaylon Tyson being listed as questionable due to a concussion.
The Cavaliers have also listed Allen as questionable due to a sprained right middle finger after he dealt with a fractured left ring finger earlier in the season.
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Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31)© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
If Allen is sidelined against the Pacers, Dean Wade and Nae-Qwan Tomlin could be in line for larger roles while Evan Mobley will likely be relied on to carry the load in the frontcourt.
Sam Merrill and Max Strus have been ruled out for Friday’s contest as they continue to be sidelined due to injuries.
Fans can catch Friday night’s matchup between the Pacers and Cavaliers from Cleveland at 7:00 p.m. EST on Amazon Prime.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
