After a successful regular season, the Cavs could be missing one of their best players as they pursue a championship.
Cleveland's Darius Garland has been ruled out for game one versus the Indiana Pacers.
Jared Greenberg of NBA TV had a depressing update on Garland's health for the rest of the series.
The Cavs' guard had missed the last two games with a toe sprain. The team won each game handily, sweeping the Miami Heat, and they might have to keep playing without the star.
Greenberg reported that if it was the regular season, Garland would be shut down for at least 1-2 weeks.
"The way it was described to me is the amount of pain that Garland is dealing with that toe makes it difficult for him to push off or gain any leverage like he usually does," Greenberg said.
There is "significant concern" regarding Darius Garland's toe pic.twitter.com/PH8rFAtekK
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 4, 2025
The Cavs ran Garland through a high-intensity workout on Friday, tested his toe pregame on Sunday and deemed he was not healthy enough to play.
Garland, who averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists in the regular season, is instrumental to Cleveland's push for an NBA championship.
The Cavs have proven they can win without Garland, but it's not sustainable to play without one of their best players.
The worse news is that a toe sprain could affect the guard's speed and burst even if he does return during the series.
Either way, this is not the update Cavs' fans wanted ahead of their second round matchup.
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