Cavaliers HC Fires Off Strong Statement At NBA Officials

The Cleveland Cavaliers path to advancing on to the Eastern Conference Finals just got more difficult on Monday.

Less than 24 hours after the Indiana Pacers blitzed that Cavs in a 121-112 win to take a 1-0 lead in the two foes conference semifinal matchup, head coach Kenny Atkinson shared some ominous injury news regarding several key Cavaliers players.

According to Atkinson, versatile wing De'Andre Hunter suffered a dislocated thumb on his shooting hand after taking a hard spill in the fourth quarter when he went up for a transition dunk.

The play was highly scrutinized at the moment, as the officials ruled that Benedict Mathurin blocked Hunter's shot at the rim, ignoring the fact that his body also made contact with Hunter, sending him barreling to the floor and ultimately clutching at his right hand.

While Atkinson made sure to express that he didn't think the Pacers were deliberately playing dirty in Game 1, he did take acceptation with the way the game was officiated, especially in regards to the play that has now has Hunter entering Game 2 listed as questionable.

Star forward Evan Mobley will also enter Tuesday as questionable, after coming up lame on a late fourth-quarter hook shot where he landed on Pacers' big man Myles Turner's foot and rolled his ankle. Mobley was seen limping around the locker room after the game.