Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is listed as questionable for the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Garland’s status will likely be determined just before tip-off. This cloud of uncertainty piles further pressure on the Cavaliers as they prepare to open against Indiana.
Garland stands particularly tall at 6-foot-1 and is in his sixth year as a professional. In his most recent appearance, he reminded the world of his scoring magic by exploding off the floor with 27 points in a dominant 121-100 victory at the Miami Heat on April 20. The biggest thing he’s had to deal with has been a painful turf toe injury. This injury caused him to miss the last two games of their first-round series with Miami and the last two games of the regular season.
Garland went through a full-contact practice Friday. Missing Saturday’s practice put his availability for Sunday’s game in doubt. Atkinson has already expressed concern about the permanent damage the injury has done. Garland could be forced to do so for the remainder of the playoffs, according to him.
“The toe’s a tough one. There’s pain and all that. The good thing, when we watch him shooting right now, he’s moving well,” Atkinson said, highlighting Garland’s progress yet acknowledging the uncertain nature of his situation.
The Cavaliers surely hope that, as the last update implied, they could soon receive their final update on Garland’s status. They plan to have Sam Merrill or Isaac Okoro ready to start if Garland misses time. The team has depended on Garland’s contributions all season long. He put up jaw dropping regular season averages of 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Atkinson again emphasized the importance of giving Garland time to heal and seeing where that recovery takes her. He stated, “We’re just in this kind of area where you just got to kind of see day by day and see how it feels tomorrow morning,” emphasizing the importance of monitoring Garland’s condition closely.
Leave a Reply