Darius Garland missed the final two games of the Cleveland Cavaliers' sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The All-Star point guard suffered a toe injury that kept him out for half of the series and, unfortunately for Cleveland, carried over into the second round; Garland was declared out shortly before tip of Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers.
However, Garland himself felt good enough to give TNT's Jared Greenberg a personal update on his status. He told the sideline reporter he feels "confident" about returning for Game 2.
"(Garland) will remain day-to-day and could play in Game 2 on Tuesday," Greenberg said in his injury update during the first quarter of Game 1. "In fact, he just came out onto the court, I talked to him briefly and he feels confident he would be able to play on Tuesday."
Out for a third-straight game with a sprain in his left big toe, Darius Garland tells @JaredSGreenberg he's optimistic about playing on Tuesday in Game 2 🤝 pic.twitter.com/TSHNmUUMuH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025
The Cavs certainly hope Garland returns as soon as possible. The Pacers make up a dangerous offensive machine, and Cleveland needs all the creation it can muster to keep up. Donovan Mitchell is capable of going off at any given moment, but Garland sharing the load offensively has played a big role in the team's overwhelming success this season.
Garland, who made his second All-Star team this year, averaged 20.6 and 6.7 assists per contest while appearing in a career-high 75 games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cavs All-Star Darius Garland 'Confident' About Playing in Game 2 Despite Toe Injury.
