The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the league, and as such, they need to put health at the forefront of their priority list.
That’s why they didn’t rush Darius Garland back to the court for the past couple of games.
He was listed as questionable for both of those games, so chances are he could’ve pushed through and played.
Then again, with such a big game ahead of them, they chose to err on the side of caution.
Now, NBA insider Marc J. Spears reports that he’s hopeful about returning to the court on Friday night to face the Boston Celtics.
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (left hip contusion) hopes to return to action on Friday at Boston, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 26, 2025
Garland has missed the past couple of games with a left hip contusion.
He sustained the injury in the blowout win over the New York Knicks.
Even so, Kenny Atkinson’s team has done just fine in his absence, with Ty Jerome going off in the wins against the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic.
Friday’s game vs. the Celtics will be one of the biggest of the season.
Playoff seeding aside, it could make or break the team’s morale ahead of a potential postseason series.
While all games have been close, the Celtics still hold a 2-1 edge over the Cavs this season.
Splitting the season series vs. the defending NBA champions is clearly much better than losing three out of four against them, especially considering they could cross paths again in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hopefully, Garland will be able to suit up, play, and – more importantly – not aggravate his injury.
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