Darius

Garland

Given the Clippers’ once-46-point lead, Garland’s playing time was relatively low on Monday. Specifically, he finished with 18 total minutes, his fewest as a Clipper. Still, the former NBA All-Star made the most of his time by sinking a few shots from deep and recording at least six assists for the ninth game in a row. Garland will almost certainly put up more productive numbers in more competitive games going forward. Regardless, he did what he could in the minutes that he earned on Monday.

Garland put on a show in Dallas, recording his first 40-point game since January 9, 2025. And he was efficient, shooting well over 50 percent from the field and dishing out 11 assists. Also, Garland played 39 minutes in the overtime victory, another step in the right direction for the point guard who’s struggled with toe injuries the last two seasons. The Clippers sat Garland for the second half of overtime, relying on Kawhi Leonard to serve as the closer.

Garland did not play in Thursday’s loss to the Pelicans, resulting in Kris Dunn moving into the starting lineup. Garland’s return will push Dunn, who offers minimal value at best as a starter, to the bench.

Garland will sit out the second leg of this back-to-back, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Kobe Sanders started in Garland’s most recent absence and should assume that role once again, though his fantasy upside will be limited.

On the one hand, Garland did well on Wednesday to not commit a turnover in his 29 minutes, after recording a season-high eight giveaways in the Clippers’ recent loss to the Spurs. Yet, the versatile point guard was held to his fewest points since March 4, while finishing without multiple made three-pointers for the first time as a Clipper. L.A. has lost three straight games and will rely on Garland’s production to help get back in the win column on Thursday.

Garland was initially listed as questionable for this game, but he will be good to go. He has been on fire since moving into the starting unit, averaging 23.0 points, 7.2 assists and 4.4 three-pointers in 28.5 minutes per game across five starts for the Clippers.

Garland had 25 points and 10 assists in Monday’s loss to the Spurs. The 26-year-old point guard was doing everything he could on offense with Kawhi Leonard (ankle) sidelined. Garland is questionable for foot injury management reasons, but he could have another big game against the Pelicans if he’s available.

Garland was likely tasked with doing even more on offense against the Spurs with Kawhi Leonard sidelined (ankle), and he mostly delivered. The former NBA All-Star led the Clippers in scoring, albeit on unspectacular shooting efficiency, and earned his fifth double-double of the season thanks to some strong facilitating. The ball distribution was nearly cancelled out by a season-high eight turnovers. Nonetheless, Garland has steadily made strides as he becomes more comfortable with his new team. He should be able to finish the fantasy season strongly.

Garland played 30 minutes on Saturday, matching his high since joining the Clippers. However, he appeared to tweak something in his right foot during the second half, which is concerning given the Clippers’ guard’s injury history. Garland did play through the issue, and the Clippers will need similar performances from him moving forward, especially if Kawhi Leonard (ankle) has to miss time.

Leonard, who suffered a cut over his left eye during the first half of Saturday’s game, had to exit after injuring his left ankle early in the fourth quarter. His absence means that the Clippers will need more offensive production from Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin. Leonard finished with 31 points (13-of-23 FGs, 3-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, two steals and two three-pointers.