Is Darius Garland Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Nuggets vs. Clippers)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland has yet to make his debut with the team since being acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the deadline.

Garland is dealing with a toe injury that has hampered him since last season's playoffs. The two-time All-Star had surgery to repair the issue in the offseason, but he has been banged up for a lot of the season, appearing in just 26 games.

According to The Athletic's Law Murray, Garland isn't expected to play this month, meaning he'll miss at least the next three games. The Clippers have already ruled Garland out for Thursday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets.

"Newly acquired LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland’s debut is expected to be delayed until March as the team manages soreness in his surgically repaired left great toe, league sources toldThe Athletic," Murray wrote.

The Clippers are 4.5-point home underdogs in the betting odds at DraftKings for Thursday's matchup, as they are a much different team with James Harden now in Cleveland and Ivica Zubac now in Indiana.

"Garland, who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 2026 second-round pick on Feb. 4 in exchange for James Harden, has been a limited participant in practice and will miss the Clippers’ back-to-back this week against the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers," Murray wrote. "A league source said Garland will likely miss a few weeks as the Clippers prioritize getting his left great toe fully healthy."

Garland is averaging 18.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3. The Clippers are hoping that he can give them a boost offensively once he's able to return to the lineup, as Los Angeles is in the play-in tournament field in the Western Conference coming out of the All-Star break.

It appears Garland will have a chance to debut on Sunday, March 1 at home against the New Orleans Pelicans, but if he misses "a few weeks" his debut could be even later on in the month of March.

The Clippers are currently the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with a 26-28 record.

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