The Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against the Boston Celtics on December 14 at the TD Garden. The Cavs, who are already 13-12 in the Eastern Conference, trailed behind in the game, 107-116. Although the franchise tried to come out strong in the second unit, a major injury sustained by their star guard brought tragic news.
Darius Garland was looking to drive to the paint, initiating contact with the star center of the Celtics, Kristaps Porziņģis, in the initial minutes of the third quarter. After colliding with Porziņģis, the star guard fell to the ground while holding his face. Although it was most likely predicted that the player was trying to draw a foul, the situation was indeed grave.
Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland has sustained a fractured jaw and is expected to miss several weeks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Garland suffered an injury to the head area in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday night in Boston. pic.twitter.com/gLRSYDRZXk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2023
‘Boog‘ recorded a good 36 minutes on the hardwood, with a 19-point score, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. On Friday, Shams Charania of ‘The Athletic‘ reported that Garland suffered a fractured jaw in the collision. Along with Garland, Ty Jerome, and Evan Mobley, they are also facing downtime owing to injury scares.
While the player has missed five games this season owing to injuries, things don’t seem laid out for the guard. Garland is currently averaging 20.7 points, 5.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 3s this season. Among all the 20 games he has played this season, the guard shot a career-best 47.0 percent from the field against the Cs.
Although Donovan Mitchell and Garland were giving it their all, the franchise still stands at No. 9 in the Eastern Conference. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, yesterday’s loss is the third in a row. Garland is the second-leading scorer for the Cavs; if he returns soon, when can the franchise expect him back on the hardwood?
When will Darius Garland return?
As per the Cleveland Cavaliers, Garland is expected to be MIA for at least 4 weeks and is planning to make a return in January. It’s now to be seen how Mitchell manages the offensive burden while Garland is on the shelf. While the guard will be reevaluated after four weeks, the injury schedule now collides with Cavaliers forward/center.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 15, 2023
Evan Mobley is about to go through arthroscopic left knee surgery on Monday, December 18, at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. Since there was no other viable option to dissipate the pain, treatment and rehabilitation post-surgery are going to take up the next 6–8 weeks for the player. The franchise will find it very hard to sustain the games without two strong pillars.
Caris LeVert and Max Strus will replace the two on the hardwood for the coming games. LeVert amassed 26 points against the Celtics, while Strus could only reach a 5-point score in his 31 minutes on the court. It is still to be seen how the Cavaliers manage offense in the absence of Garland and overall defense in the absence of Mobley.