Final Injury Status for Cavaliers Star Guard vs. Heat Game 3

The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to South Beach to try to take a 3-0 series lead against the Miami Heat.

However, that challenge got a little more difficult as the Cavaliers have ruled their All-Star point guard Darius Garland OUT for Saturday's Game 3.

DG showed up on the injury report on Friday with a "great toe sprain" and was considered a game-time decision. He did not go through his normal pre-game workout, which was not a good sign for his availability.

This injury isn't new for Garland. He missed the last game of the regular season with that same issue, and it had been bothering him towards the end of the season, too.

Garland has been a key piece in Cleveland's early playoff success. Through the first two games against the Heat, he's averaging 24.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 41 percent from behind the arc.

With DG not in Saturday's lineup, Donovan Mitchell has moved into the starting point guard position, and Sam Merrill will step into the starting lineup.

Garland's absence also puts a lot more pressure on Ty Jerome to step up and continue to be a scoring and playmaking boost off Cleveland's bench, just like he was in Games 1 and 2 and during the regular season.

If Mitchell and Jerome each have big games, the Cavaliers could still take a commanding lead in the series on Saturday. Still, hopefully, this isn't an injury that jeopardizes Garland's postseason status moving forward.

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