Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will play when the Cavs take on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, according to a tweet from Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor.
Cleveland will roll out a lineup of Garland, guard Donovan Mitchell, forward Isaac Okoro, forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen against the Suns, the Athletic reporter Kelsey Russo wrote in a Sunday tweet.
Though he will take the floor in Phoenix, Darius Garland still hasn’t completely escaped a thumb injury he suffered against the Indiana Pacers. The fourth-year guard’s hand was still wrapped up after his pregame workout, according to Russo.
Darius Garland was able to take the floor in a 13-point victory by the Denver Nuggets in Ball Arena last Friday as Mitchell rested against the top-rated team in the Western Conference. Guard Caris LeVert took Mitchell’s place in the starting lineup. Garland scored 21 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished eight assists, hitting seven shots in the paint after hitting an open corner 3-pointer in the first quarter.
The Suns will be without guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker when Phoenix takes the floor in the evening game.
Paul played for 12 minutes in a 104-96 win by the Miami Heat in the Footprint Center before he was taken out by head coach Monty Williams. The fourth-year head coach knew he had to pull him out after just one look from Paul, PHNX Sports lead writer Gerald Bourguet wrote in a Friday tweet.
“I just saw him laboring for a second, and when he wouldn’t look at me, I kinda knew something was up,” Williams said.
Booker is working through a strained left groin, and won’t be reevaluated until the last week of January.
Darius Garland and the Cavs will tip off against the Suns at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday in the Footprint Center. The game will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Ohio.
