Darius Garland made his return to playoff basketball Saturday, having been sidelined since midway through the first round with a toe injury.
After dispatching the Miami Heat in four straight games, the Cavaliers were shocked in their opening pair of second round games, losing both to the Indiana Pacers despite holding home court advantage.
But with Garland finally able to return in Game 3, Cleveland reminded the league why they were the top team in the East, claiming an emphatic road win of their own.
Darius Garland makes return in dominant playoff victory
After missing four games with a toe injury, Darius Garland returned to action for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the Pacers by 22 points.
Darius Garland SWEET no-look to Mobley for the dunk 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U1yT3JsmOV
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 10, 2025
It was a tough return for Garland, whose toe was clearly still somewhat bothering the All-Star, but he still managed to be productive en route to a huge win on the road.
He finished the game with 10 points and three assists, playing 25 minutes as the Cavs made a massive statement, thanks to 43 points from back-court partner Donovan Mitchell.
"He’s just playing through quite a bit of pain, quite honestly, to get him to [be able to] play this game there’s a lot that goes into it," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said after the win.
"He’s kinda taking one for the team here, I do think [being down 2-0], he had to push through a lot tonight so hopefully he recovers.
"Even if we get 15, 20 minutes from him, we need it, we need another ball-handler, 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."
Garland will now have a day of recovery before a crucial Game 4 Monday, where the team will hope to even up the series heading back to Cleveland.