The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have anything to play for on Sunday afternoon.
They’ve already clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, and not even potentially losing by 300 points will change that.
With that in mind, they will rest nine of their most crucial players in the regular-season finale vs. the Indiana Pacers.
Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Dean Wade, De’Andre Hunter, Sam Merrill, Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro, and Max Strus will all be out, per the team’s injury report.
Jarrett Allen, on the other hand, will suit up and play.
As meaningless as this game might be for most of the players, it will actually be very special for Allen.
As pointed out by CavsMuse on X, this will be the first time he will appear in all 82 regular-season games.
Jarrett Allen will play in all 82 games this season, the first time in his career! https://t.co/p3z5ZosMHy pic.twitter.com/ssJJZXL2ec
— CavsMuse (64-17) — z (@CavsMuse) April 13, 2025
Needless to say, he’s not likely to be there for an extended period of time, and he might even sit out after the first quarter or even after the first timeout.
Allen has never been an injury-prone player, but it’s still difficult to be available night in and night out for a full 82-game season, especially in this day and age when players usually sit out at the slightest sign of discomfort.
He wasn’t an All-Star, and his numbers didn’t always pop out, but Allen’s impact on both ends of the floor was instrumental in this team’s success.
He doesn’t have anything else to prove, but it’s still nice to see the team giving him a chance to embrace this moment and celebrate this milestone.
NEXT: Jarrett Allen Says 1 Cavs Teammate Makes Them 'Infinitely Better'
