Darius Garland, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting guard, remains questionable for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Garland’s availability is very much up in the air. He missed practice on Saturday due to a recurring big toe injury.
Garland had participated in a full-contact session on Friday, which gave fans plenty of hope that he would be able to go. He sat out the final two contests of the Cavaliers’ first-round sweep of the Miami Heat. To this day, there are fears over his full recovery. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists during the regular season, making his presence crucial for the Cavaliers’ success in the playoffs.
Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers’ head coach, discussed Garland’s situation after practice on Saturday. He suggested that Garland will have to play through this injury for the rest of the playoffs.
“The toe’s a tough one. There’s pain and all that. But the good thing, when we watch him shooting right now, he’s moving well.” – Kenny Atkinson
Garland had one of his finest outings with 27 points. His presence proved huge in leading the 76ers to a commanding 121-100 win against the Miami Heat on April 20. His absence in the final two games of the first round was sorely missed. Yet, even with this dynamic, the team found themselves forging ahead without him.
As game day drew nearer, Atkinson stressed that Garland’s availability will be determined on a game-time basis.
“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.” – Kenny Atkinson
As playoff intensity levels start to crank up, the Cavaliers know full well that they go as Garland goes when it comes to their chances for advancing. His absence has added another layer of unpredictability that throws at least some wrenches into what they plan to do against the Pacers.
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