Two Key Cavs Starters Out Vs. Knicks, One Questionable

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be without at least two significant pieces going into their mini-series with the New York Knicks.

Over the next two days, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have a shot at revenge, as they’ll take on the New York Knicks in a home-and-home mini-series starting Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The question is whether or not they’ll have a full-strength team or not in either matchup.

Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff typically doesn’t tend to show his hand when it comes to injuries, but we received an update on Monday regarding some of his players. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen returned to practice in full, while Darius Garland was unable to participate as he continues to deal with a hamstring strain.

“You could see it more so when he was trying to slow himself down,” Bickerstaff said of Garland, who felt the effects of his injury after the season-opening win in Brooklyn. “He was able to get to his top speed, but then when he was trying to slow down and change directions, you could see it. For him, the style he plays, it makes it extremely difficult when you have limited breaks.”

Monday evening’s NBA Injury Report revealed that the team will have neither Garland nor Allen for the first leg of a back-to-back against New York. Mitchell, also dealing with hamstring soreness, is listed as questionable.

Ty Jerome is also listed as out with a right ankle sprain, which he sustained in the home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he jammed his foot.

Oct 27, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland’s long list of injuries continues to hamper the beginning of the season, but Bickerstaff and Co. want to play it as safely as they can. Just because the Knicks are in town doesn’t mean they’ll stray from the long haul that is an 82-game campaign.