Darius Garland left in the second half of the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss to the Miami Heat due to a toe injury.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ matchup against the Miami Heat on Monday night was just Darius Garland’s third game of the season, after his season debut was delayed as the guard was still getting back up to speed after an offseason injury.
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, they weren’t able to convert in overtime and lost on a game-winning alley-oop with less than a second left. That wasn’t even the worst part of the night, though, as the Wine and Gold also lost their starting point guard, as Garland exited the game in the third quarter with the team citing a left toe injury, the same injury that forced him to miss the beginning of the year.
After the game, Kenny Atkinson provided a brief update on the current status of Garland and his feelings during the game.
“I haven't gotten an update. Obviously, couldn't, couldn't continue on. Took a fall there, and tried to come back and just… So, [hope to] get an update here soon,” said Atkinson.
Cleveland’s head coach did admit that he, along with the medical team, did talk with DG at halftime, but the point guard insisted on playing.
Kenny continued, “We talked about it, talked about it with medical and Darius, wanted to give it another try. Then, went back at it, and then just, just couldn’t continue.”
Nov 10, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) shoots in front of Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) during the first period at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn ImagesNow, it’s just a waiting game to see what the update reveals about DG’s status.
It looked like Garland was limping at the end of the second quarter after being fouled on the baseline. Then, in the second half, he was fouled again and appeared to be in discomfort. Garland then fouled one of the Heat players, subbed himself out of the game, and immediately walked back to Cleveland’s locker room.
Garland was clearly still shaking off some rust from missing the first few weeks of the season, but he was starting to find his rhythm over the last few quarters. In the two-and-a-half games the guard has played, he’s averaging 13.0 points while shooting 33 percent from the floor and 36 percent from behind the arc.
Hopefully, this isn’t a major setback for Garland, and he can get the rest he needs and be back in Cleveland’s lineup soon. That said, with it still being November, there’s no reason for the Cavaliers to rush him back, especially with this new re-aggravation.