Is Darius Garland playing today? Cavaliers vs Knicks injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action again today, playing the New York Knicks in a crucial Game 4 for both sides. Down 2-1 in the series, the Cavs need to win to regain homecourt advantage. Will they have all of their stars available in Madison Square Garden?

Darius Garland injury update (Updated February 23rd)

Note: This may be updated closer to tip-off at 1:00 pm ET with the official word on Darius Garland’s injury status.

Game 3 was a difficult one for the Cavaliers, as the team as a whole couldn’t hit a shot no matter how wide-open they were. They became the first NBA team this season to fail to reach 80 points. Darius Garland, one game after leading the Cavs to a win in Game 2, shot 4-for-21 (19 percent). To add injury to insult, he then hurt his ankle by floating onto the baseline after a layup attempt and stepping on a photographer’s foot:

Garland was able to check back into the game, which is a good sign that his ankle injury wasn’t too serious, but swelling can come after a game and impede a player moving forward. As of now, however, Garland appears on track to play today.

That information didn’t come direct from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who chose to play coy to reporters when asked about Garland’s status:

Thankfully, the NBA doesn’t rely on the gamesmanship of head coaches to update the injury status of players. According to the Cavaliers’ injury report, Garland is not listed and is therefore expected to play today. While that status could certainly change if Garland experiences swelling and weakness while warming up for the game, it looks like Cavaliers fans can expect DG to be in the starting lineup.

The more pertinent question now becomes whether the injury will hinder Garland’s play in any way. He was incredible in Game 2, dropping 26 first-half points as the Cavaliers walloped the Knicks. He was equally bad in Game 3 before suffering the ankle injury.

The Knicks have a deep team and more playoff experience than the Cavs, and while their defense as a whole isn’t as good as Cleveland’s, they have multiple wing defenders to throw at Donovan Mitchell and Garland. If Garland isn’t 100 percent, it will make it that much easier for the Knicks to corral their offense and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Will Darius Garland play? Yes, it appears so. Will the Darius Garland who was one of the best point guards in the league this season play? That remains to be seen, and the answer could decide whether the Cavs keep playing this season or reach the cusp of a disappointing finish.