Kenny Atkinson knew that his Cleveland Cavaliers needed Darius Garland on Friday night, and he was thankful the star player was able to perform.
With that being said, he understands that Garland is still seriously injured and not where he wants to be in his recovery from a toe problem.
Speaking with Cleveland.com, Atkinson was honest about his young player and all he was going through.
“(Garland) is just playing through a lot of pain, quite honestly,” Atkinson said. “To get him to play this game, let’s just say there’s a lot that goes into it and he’s kind of taking one for the team here. […] Even if we get 15, 20 minutes from him, we need it. We need another ballhandler. He can create separation. He can create advantages, even if it’s not going to be perfect with the way his health is right now.”
Atkinson said the Cavs wanted Garland for just about 15 to 20 minutes and that’s right around the amount they got.
He played for just under 25 minutes and put up 10 points and three assists during that time.
But during those 25 minutes, Garland was clearly in pain and wasn’t moving like he wanted to.
Thankfully for the Cavaliers, there were other players able to step up and play hard, such as Donovan Mitchell with his magical 43 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
The Cavaliers are still behind 2-1 in this series, and most fans believe they’d be in a much better position if Garland were healthy.
But he is not and probably won’t be for some time, so the team has to be careful about how and when they use him.
Their plan is to go further in the playoffs, and they will want Garland for what’s ahead, so they don’t want to make things worse right now.
15 to 25 minutes might be all they get from him, but he can still have a big impact on the team.
NEXT: Darius Garland Sends Strong Message About Injury After Game 3
