Darius

Garland

Garland picked up the injury on March 23 against the Jazz and played through it before ultimately missing time. He missed four of the Cavs’ final seven games of the regular season and Games 1 and 2 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana, re-aggravating the injury in the process. If Ty Jerome re-signs with Cleveland this offseason, he’s the guy most likely to replace Garland in the starting five. Donovan Mitchell’s usage rate spiked when Garland sat and he’d appear to be in line for some big fantasy lines early in the season while Garland is sidelined.

On a night when the Cavaliers needed Garland to be his best, the point guard could not rise to the challenge. Not only did he miss all six of his three-point attempts, but Garland was also responsible for five turnovers. His toe injury suffered during the first round did Garland no favors, but this was a disappointing way for him to end the 2024-25 season. While having a Yahoo! ADP outside the top-50, the Cavaliers’ point guard finished within that threshold in eight- and nine-cat formats. Playing alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley may limit his ceiling, but Garland’s fantasy floor is relatively safe.

It didn’t have much of an impact on the final score, but Garland was much better in the second half. He had 12 points in the third quarter alone before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. At that point, the score was simply too lopsided for Garland to continue. Still, it was good to see him have a productive night after he struggled in Game 3 and missed Games 1 and 2. With Donovan Mitchell (ankle) set to have an MRI on Monday, a lot of responsibility may fall on Garland’s shoulders to keep Cleveland’s season alive in Game 5 on Tuesday.

Friday’s game was Garland’s first since Game 2 of the Cavaliers’ first-round series against the Heat. He did look rusty, but the more concerning moment occurred during the third quarter. Garland appeared to have tweaked the toe injury that sidelined him for four games, but he was able to return later in the contest. Cleveland holding onto its gaudy lead ensured that Garland would not be extended too far in his first game back from injury. He’ll now rest up for Game 4 on Sunday night.

Garland is available after missing four games with a sprained left big toe. Given the stakes, with Cleveland trailing two games to none, the point guard will likely take on his usual workload in Game 3. Sam Merrill’s playing time will likely decrease with Garland in the lineup.

The news couldn’t come at a better time, as Shams also expects Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter to take the court. Cleveland fell behind 2-0 in the series with a wild final minute of Game 2 that culminated in a Tyrese Haliburton game-winning three-pointer. Teams down 3-0 in a series have never come back to win, so a victory on Friday is crucial in keeping the Cavs’ season alive. With Garland expected back, Ty Jerome will retreat back to the bench.

Due to a sprained left big toe, Garland has not appeared in a game since Game 2 of Cleveland’s first-round series against the Heat. While Sam Merrill started Game 1, he was moved to the bench for Game 2, with Ty Jerome taking over as the starter alongside Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers were also without Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter for Game 2, which impacted the lineup overall.

Mobley tweaked his ankle in Game 1 of the series. Despite his questionable listing, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters two of his best players were doubtful for Game 2 when referring to Mobley and De’Andre Hunter. Garland sat out Game 1 with a toe injury and his status is unchanged for Game 2. The Cavaliers will roll with a starting lineup of Ty Jerome, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen in Game 2.

Garland sat out the Game 1 loss to Indiana on Sunday, and his availability will be crucial for Cleveland’s chances of taking Game 2. Sam Merrill started Game 1 in Garland’s place, but provided only a 6/4/4 line with two triples across 18 minutes.

While Mitchell’s final point tally was excellent, how he reached that number was not. The Cavaliers’ leading scorer shot 1-of-11 from three, and Indiana outscored the Cavaliers by 33 points from beyond the arc. Once again playing without Darius Garland (toe), the Cavaliers could not control the tempo. Changing that for Tuesday’s Game 2 becomes exponentially more difficult if Garland cannot play, regardless of what Mitchell does individually.