Heat-Cavs Injury Report: All-Star Guard Ruled Out For Game 4

Apr 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and guard Darius Garland (10) talk in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced that two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland will miss his second straight game as he deals with a toe injury. Garland averaged 24 points and seven assists through the first two games of this first-round series. Sam Merrill will again start in his place.

The Heat announced today that veteran forward Kyle Anderson is available. Anderson, averaging about seven points, four rebounds and three assists in his time with the team, is dealing with an illness. The Heat are facing elimination as they enter Game 4 down 0-3 in their first round Playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here's the rest of the injury report and game preview:

HEAT

Kyle Anderson: Available - Illness

Terry Rozier: Out - Ankle

Kevin Love: Out - Personal Reasons

CAVALIERS

Darius Garland: Out - Toe

How To Watch Miami Heat-Cleveland Cavaliers, Lineups, Injury Report, Betting Lines

Game time: 7:30 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami

TV: TNT, TruTV, FanDuel Sports Network, MAX

Betting line: Heat +8, DraftKings

VITALS: The Heat trail 0-3 in the best-of-seven first round series. The Heat and Cavaliers met three times this regular season with Cleveland winning the series, 2-1. The HEAT are 80-53 all-time versus Cleveland during the regular season, including 51-17 in home games and 29-36 in road games. The teams entered this postseason having never faced each other in the playoffs as Miami has faced every other Eastern Conference team in the postseason except Cleveland.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Davion Mitchell

G Tyler Herro

C Kel'el Ware

F Andrew Wiggins

F Bam Adebayo

CAVALIERS

G Ty Jerome

G Donovan Mitchell

C Jarrett Allen

F Max Strus

F Evan Mobley

QUOTABLE

Heat big man Bam Adebayo: "I've been a part of a team that was up 3-0 and then, in the blink of an eye, we were going into a Game 7. Obviously there's still a chance."

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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at toledoalexander22@gmail.com. Twitter: @tropicalblanket