Hunter, who dislocated the thumb on his shooting (right) hand during Game 1, was one of three Cavaliers’ rotation players to miss Game 2, with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley being the others. Hunter’s absence led to more rotation minutes for Isaac Okoro, who logged 30 minutes in Game 2 and finished with five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals. How much Okoro plays in Game 3 will also depend on the status of Evan Mobley (ankle), who did not play in Game 2.

Hunter was injured after taking a hard fall on a contested drive by Myles Turner. Despite no foul being called, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters Hunter was “obliterated” on the play and that the 27-year-old small forward dislocated his thumb. With Evan Mobley and Darius Garland also ruled out, the Cavaliers will be without three of their top six players while already facing a 1-0 deficit in the series in Game 2.

Hunter may have posted a dud in Game 1 of this series, but the last three games were all strong performances for him. That was more than enough to help Cleveland advance to the second round. 18 of his 19 points came before halftime, so Hunter certainly could’ve scored more if the game wasn’t over at that point. He’ll continue to play a significant role off the bench as the Cavaliers’ postseason run continues in the conference semifinals.

Hunter has bounced back nicely since going scoreless in Cleveland’s series-opening win on April 20. Having scored 12 points in Game 2, he was even better on Saturday, helping the Cavaliers absorb the absence of Darius Garland (toe). Regardless of Garland’s status for Monday’s Game 4, Hunter remains a key contributor off the bench. The Cavaliers aim to end the series in Miami, which would net them additional rest ahead of the second round.