Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland will miss several weeks of action after suffering a fractured jaw in Thursday night’s loss to the Celtics, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Friday.
The injury occurred when the Garland’s collided head-first with Boston center Kristaps Porzingis. The 23-year-old left the game initially but was able to return later and finish the contest as the Cavaliers fell to the Celtics for the second straight game.
Garland has dealt with injuries throughout his four-year pro career, as the guard has yet to play 70 games in a single season. The team confirmed the news shortly after Charania’s report.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 15, 2023
Garland has established himself as a key contributor for the Cavaliers. He’s averaging 20.7 points and 5.9 assists in 20 games for Cleveland. If those numbers stand, it would mark the third consecutive season in which Garland has averaged over 20 points per game.
Meantime, Cleveland also must deal with the loss of power forward Evan Mobley, who is poised to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Mobley, who averages 16.0 points and a team-high 10.5 rebounds per game, is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action.
Darius Garland left the game after being hit in the face. He has returned to the bench area. #LetEmKnow | @cavs pic.twitter.com/yW1jQhboEy
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) December 15, 2023
The Cavaliers likely will rely even more on Donovan Mitchell with Garland and Mobley out, as the veteran leads the team with 27.6 points per game. Cleveland currently has a 13-12 record, which ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers play host to the Hawks (9–14) at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
