Cleveland Cavaliers Star Guard Exits Game With Apparent Head Injury

Darius Garland leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers game with an apparent injury to his head.

Dec 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) reacts during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a historic start to the 2024-25 season. However, they've still had their fair share of roster injuries, and now they may be facing a significant one with their starting point guard.

Darius Garland left Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards with an apparent head injury. He was going up for a shot, but Jonas Valanciunas' elbow caught him square in the head as he released the ball.

Garland was on the ground for a few minutes, even as play went on on the other side of the court. Eventually, there was a stoppage in play, and the Cavaliers' trainers rushed over to tend to him.

Cavs Update: Darius Garland was hit in the head and is currently being evaluated (Will Not Return)

— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) December 4, 2024

DG was able to walk off the floor on his own power, but he went straight back to the locker room instead of staying on the bench.

It is important to note that the Cavaliers were up by double digits when Garland was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game. Hopefully, this means that holding him out for the rest of the night was just a precaution.

Garland was having a solid game before exiting in the third quarter. He played 16 minutes and finished with 12 points and three assists on an efficient 4-for-7 shooting night.

Nov 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) takes a shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Looking at the bigger picture, hopefully, this injury does not force Garland to miss too much time. He's finally returned to All-Star form after missing most of the 2023-24 season with a broken jaw. DG is currently averaging 20.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season.

We'll have to wait until Kenny Atkinson's postgame presser to see if he has any updates on Garland's status.