Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson on Darius Garland Playing in Game 1: Could Go Either Way

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was brutally honest about Darius Garland‘s status for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

Basically, Atkinson wasn’t ready to predict whether Garland would play vs. the Indiana Pacers or not. Garland missed Games 3 and 4 of the Cavs’ first-round sweep of the Miami Heat with a sprained big toe. 

“I’m not going to make a judgment either way,” Atkinson told reporters. “But sure, there’s some concern there. I could see it go either way. I think it’s something he’s going to have to deal with probably the rest of the playoffs.”

Most people would agree. You don’t heal a sprained toe by playing on it. But for Garland, there may be no choice.

On the bright side, he was spotted going through a regular workout at the team’s practice facility on Thursday, four days from Game 1.

“Day to day right now,” Atkinson said. “Toe’s a tough one. There’s pain and all that. But the good thing when we watch him shooting right now, he’s moving well.”

The Cavs had little trouble dispatching the Heat without Garland. They beat Miami by 37 in Game 3 of the first round and a whopping 55 in Game 4. But the Heat were a No. 10 seed; the Pacers are a No. 4 and coming off a gentlemen’s sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks.

They are an entirely different animal — and even with Garland, the series is expected to be a dogfight between two high-octane offenses.

Atkinson didn’t offer any clues on who could start if Garland can’t go in Game 1. Against the Heat, it was Sam Merrill. But again, the Pacers ain’t the Heat.

“We’ve talked about it,” Atkinson said. “Haven’t made a decision yet.”

As for Garland’s teammates, they believe.

“He’s been phenomenal,” fellow star Donovan Mitchell said. “It’s great that we took care of business in games three and four. Now he’s got some rest and he’ll be back.

“Ideally, he’ll be back on Sunday.”