After losing the first two games at home, the Cavs needed a ray of hope heading into last night’s Pacers clash. They got it in the form of a returning Darius Garland. The star guard had not suited up since Game 2 of the first round Heat series, dealing with a sprained left big toe. But with his team on the verge of going down 3-0 in the East Semis, Garland finally decided to play through the pain. And it worked.
Sure, Garland played just 25 minutes and finished with merely 10 points, much below his season average. But the presence of a second elite ball handler truly opened up the Cavs’ offense and got them going. As a result, they ended up blowing out the Pacers, bringing the series to 2-1. Unfortunately, the win came at a price. Per Kenny Atkinson, Garland was struggling with his injury throughout the game, “He’s just playing through a lot of pain, quite honestly. To get him to play this game, let’s just say there’ a lot that goes into it. He’s kind of taking one for the team here.”
However, when Darius was asked about it, he didn’t expect anyone to understand his true feeling, “Y’all don’t understand what I’m going through. So, I mean everybody had their opinion. I’m going out there and playing basketball. Everybody has nicks and bruises around this time. So, going out there to win the series.” Yes, the point guard believes most players are playing through some sort of health issues at this stage of the season. And his sole focus right now is on helping his team make a comeback in this series and advance to the Conference Finals.
So, Garland is doing everything he can to stay healthy for games, “Take it day by day. Icing it. Trying to do as much as I can just to be ready for Sunday. So, start the recovery and got to keep going. Yeah, I just wanna be out there for my guys… I just wanna go out there and just get a win.” Well, Darius’ impact last night was instant as the Cavs’ scoring opened with a hockey assist from the point guard, sparking an 11-0 run to start the game. But it might not have been possible had he listened to his head coach.
Darius Garland reveals conversation with Kenny Atkinson and Cavs coaching staff ahead of Game 3
It was clear that Garland was not at 100% upon his return. That’s why Atkinson kept him on the bench for nearly half the game. Turns out, there was a slight chance the point guard might not have showed up at all. Revealing Atkinson and the coaching staff’s message to him amid his absence from injury, Garland said, “Get ready. Be ready to play whenever you can. He was trying to tell me ‘Don’t rush it.’” Yes, the head coach did not want to risk further health issues by rushing Darius’ return.
Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) reacts after a play during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
However, the point guard could not see his team struggling anymore, which led to a disagreement with Atkinson, “I’m going to play basketball. I’m going to win games.” Now that Garland is back, the head coach is hoping for him to stay available for the rest of the series, “Hopefully, he recovers. Even if we get 15-20 minutes from him, we need another ball handler. He can create separation. He can create advantages even if it’s not gonna be perfect with the way his health is right now.” Of course, Garland brings more versatility to the Cavs’ offense, as they get a nightly 20+ point scorer and an elite playmaker.
Moreover, Garland is likely to suit up in the next game as well because he knows that the job is far from over, “We haven’t done anything. We’re still down a game. So, we gotta come in here Sunday with the same attitude, same mindset, and same physicality that we played with today and just bring it again in another level.” The aim now is to win Sunday’s game and head back to Cleveland with the series levelled. Do you think Garland can play through the pain once again and get the job done?
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