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Cleveland Cavaliers superstar guard Darius Garland’s 2025 postseason won’t be remembered for dazzling stats or highlight reels. It’ll be remembered for Garland's grit and an unwavering commitment to his team despite a painful toe injury that visibly hindered his game and ultimately impacted the Cavs’ Eastern Conference Semifinal loss to the Indiana Pacers.
When Garland took the floor in Game 3 after missing the first two contests, he didn’t look like the same player who earned an All-Star nod this season. The quick cuts, the stop-start bursts, and the explosive first step were all muted by the effects of a nagging toe sprain. Still, he suited up and battled.
“A lot of y'all wouldn’t have been out there,” Garland said during the team’s exit interviews.
Garland's claim wasn't a boast. Instead, it was the raw truth of someone who knew he wasn’t right physically but showed up anyway. He wore a steel plate in his shoe and used toe spacers to manage the pain. But nothing could bring him back to full speed. Nevertheless, he tried to battle through it.
The Cavs needed Darius Garland against the Pacers
Even in a limited state, Garland’s presence mattered. With Indiana applying suffocating pressure, the Cavs needed ball handling. His return in Game 3 brought an offensive rhythm that had been sorely missing. It helped free up Donovan Mitchell to attack more efficiently and helped Cleveland avoid a 3-0 deficit.
“It means a lot,” said Donovan Mitchell about Garland after Game 3. “Twenty percent of you, 30% of you is all we need. He’s fighting and gutting it out. [I have] a lot of respect for him.”
That one win offered hope. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to swing the series. Regardless, Garland was honest about his struggles and his grit to remain available.
“I definitely wasn’t myself out there,” Garland said. “It was pretty uncomfortable. But like I said, trying to do anything to win the game.”
Over three games against Indiana, Garland averaged 14 points on subpar shooting splits, just 34.2% from the field and a mere 16.7% from three-point range. His 10-point effort in Game 4 included four turnovers and little of the control the Cavs rely on him to provide.
Those numbers paint a picture of diminished production, but they don’t capture the full story. Even hobbled, Garland’s court vision and ability to manage pace remained valuable. He gave the Cavs an offensive structure that had crumbled in his absence. He wasn't just playing; He was sacrificing.
“That’s what makes it harder for me,” Garland said. “Like, I’m there for the guys, but I’m not there for the guys. I’m not 100%, so that’s what’s making it pretty tough.”
Cleveland fans shouldn't question Darius Garland's toughness
Unfortunately, for Garland, criticism inevitably followed. Questions about his toughness, about whether he should have suited up at all, lingered early in the series. Garland didn’t shy away from addressing the noise.
“Everybody’s gonna have an opinion,” Garland said. “I know what I was going through physically. So, like I said in Indiana, a lot of y’all don’t know what I was going through physically.”
Garland’s message was clear: his willingness to fight through pain wasn’t up for debate. Whether he could be his All-Star self wasn’t the point. He was there when it mattered.
“I’m just happy I just got out there because I didn’t want to leave them out,” Garland said. “I want us to be fully healthy, of course, but we had all our guys out there, though. Even if we weren’t all 100%, we were all out there.”
As the Cavs’ season ends, the focus shifts toward growth and resilience. Garland’s final words underscore the mindset he wants the team to embrace moving forward.
“Just write us off again,” said Darius Garland. “Nothing has changed. A lot of people doubt us. And it is based on the playoffs. It is based on the postseason. They do whatever they want. We go to work. We get better. And we’ll come back stronger next year.”
Injury robbed Darius Garland of his explosiveness. But it didn’t take away his leadership, his heart, or his voice. And that might be the most valuable thing the Cavs take into next season.
