CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs’ lengthy injury report may soon shrink.
All-Star point guard Darius Garland, who missed his fifth straight game Wednesday night because of a lingering toe injury, is “close” to a return.
“He’s close, Real close,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked about Garland’s status prior to Wednesday’s 114-104 loss to the Houston Rockets. “I think he’s itching. Think we’re right there. We’re getting real close to getting over that hump and getting him into the lineup.”
Garland, who underwent toe surgery this summer, has been sidelined more than a week because of injury management related to his big toe.
After missing all of the preseason and the first seven games, Garland finally made his debut on Nov. 5. But in his third game on Nov. 10 against the Miami Heat, Garland re-aggravated that same toe multiple times and eventually exited to the locker room for further evaluation. He was limited to 19 minutes that night and hasn’t played since.
The injury was labeled a toe contusion.
After temporarily being shut down from basketball activities, Garland has returned to the court, taking contact and increasing his on-court sessions to 5 on 5. Cleveland’s medical staff has been encouraged with Garland’s progress, and he has passed each step without issue.
On Friday, the Cavs begin another stretch of three games in four nights, including a Sunday-Monday back-to-back — first at home against the Los Angeles Clippers and then in Toronto. They will then have three straight days off — the longest break in the schedule to date.
While it’s unclear at this point whether Garland will participate in any of these upcoming matchups, Atkinson’s recent comments certainly hinted at that possibility.
In three games, Garland is averaging 13.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 33.3% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range. The Cavs, who have been forced to use nine different starting lineups, are 2-1 with him in the lineup, the only loss coming in overtime in the game he couldn’t finish.
Cleveland has also been without second-year forward Jaylon Tyson for the last five games. Tyson suffered a concussion that same night in Miami. He started exhibiting symptoms following the game and was placed in the league’s concussion protocol.
Tyson continues to make steady progress, participating in a workout following Wednesday’s shootaround, where Tyson conducted a full-court individual session with coaches and trainers.
There was even some internal debate about Tyson’s playing status for Wednesday night. Ultimately, the medical staff opted to hold him out at least one more game. The Cavs are hopeful that Tyson will be available Friday — an Eastern Conference semifinals rematch with the Indiana Pacers.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
