The Cleveland Cavaliers need Darius Garland.
The star point guard is out with a toe injury. He missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, a 121-112 Cleveland defeat.
Without Garland, the Cavs might be in trouble.
TNT's Jared Greenberg said if this was the regular season, Garland might sit for another week or two.
The Cavs don't have that kind of time, though. And they need Garland's talent on the floor.
On Sunday night in Game 1, Donovan Mitchell took 30 shots, and Ty Jerome attempted 20. That was 50 of the 90 Cleveland shots taken by two guys.
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Garland helps diversify proceedings. He takes shots himself, of course, but he's also Cleveland's top passer to set up his teammates for easy and varied looks.
This season was maybe Garland's best in the NBA.
He averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game with a career-low 2.5 turnovers per night.
Garland also shot a career-best 47.2% from the floor, including 40.1% from downtown.
Maybe Garland won't be at 100 percent if he comes back, but the Cavs don't have much choice at this point.
To beat the Pacers, Cleveland needs its point guard. He'll just have to deal with the pain and try to keep the Cavs on track.
This was a team with a historic regular season that wants an NBA championship. Garland behind the controls is the only way to get there.
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