After knocking off the Brooklyn Nets on the road to open the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed back to the friendly confines of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game of a back-to-back homestand.
Despite missing key players like Jarrett Allen (ankle) and Dean Wade (illness), and uncertainty around the availability of Darius Garland (hamstring) against Brooklyn, Cleveland was able to dig deep and grind out a win in a high-scoring affair. Considering that the Thunder are much more talented than the Nets, the Cavs hope to have more hands on deck to take care of business against Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately, there's some bad news coming Cleveland's way despite their high hopes. The team updated its injury report on Thursday evening, and the Cavs are still dealing with a mix of injuries.
Jarrett Allen – OUT
For the sixth game in a row, Cleveland will be without All-Star big man Jarrett Allen. He has missed most of training camp and all four preseason games because of a bone bruise in his left ankle, which he suffered early on in training camp. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the Cavs want Allen to participate in a full practice before getting him back on the floor.
Bickerstaff confirmed that Allen has had no setbacks or concerns following the reevaluation of Allen’s left ankle, so that’s a good sign. However, Bickerstaff also did not rule out the possibility of a multi-game absence because of how the schedule is laid out, with the Cavs playing the Thunder on Friday and the Indiana Pacers immediately after on Saturday.
“Our goal is always to do what’s most safe by our players and put them in a position to be successful,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s a long season. We just want to make sure that this is something where he’s comfortable coming back, and it’s not one of those things where now you’re ping-ponging him back and forth because he’s uncomfortable or doesn’t feel like he got enough reps.
“It’s not the best because we know how valuable he is to us, but long-term, whatever decision we make, that’s what we’re going for.”
After the back-to-back series at home, the Cavs will have a few days off and opportunities to practice before they host the New York Knicks on Halloween night. There will likely be a chance for Allen to showcase how his ankle is doing to Cleveland's coaching staff. But, until that happens, it's safe to assume he'll remain sidelined.
Darius Garland – QUESTIONABLE
Cavs superstar point guard Darius Garland scared a few when it was made known he was dealing with a left hamstring strain hours leading up to the season opening game against the Nets. Garland was able to play in the win over Brooklyn and put up a steady 15 points, five assists and two steals in 32 minutes of action for Cleveland. But hamstring injuries are tricky and can linger until things have recovered.
So, heading into this matchup against the Thunder, Garland will likely be a game-time decision and will play based on how his hamstring is feeling pregame. If he does play against Oklahoma City, don't be surprised if Cleveland sits Garland the following night against Indiana.
Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE
Dean Wade missed the Cavs' season-opening win over the Nets in Brooklyn due to dealing with an illness that kept him from traveling with the team. Wade had been unable to practice for the few days leading up to the opening tilt in Brooklyn, but he was spotted getting in extra work with assistant coaches after practice on Thursday.
Like Garland, Wade will play if he is physically capable. Unlike Garland, if he plays Friday night, there's a good chance Wade will play Saturday night against the Pacers as well.
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