The Cavs are cooking, but Darius Garland’s big toe just hit the brakes. Cleveland rolled into the 2025 playoffs like they were late to a flight—no delays, no questions asked. A 21-point Game 1 beatdown followed by a clean 121-112 dub in Game 2 has the EC top-seeded Cavaliers up 2-0 on the No. 8 seed Miami Heat. But now, as the series shifts to South Beach for Game 3, there’s a twist.

Cleveland may have to weather it without their All-Star point guard, who’s averaging 20.6 points and 6.7 assists while shooting like a man possessed. The toe gods giveth, and they taketh away. Confused? Simply put, “Darius Garland with a sprained left big toe listed as questionable for Cleveland for Saturday at Miami,” according to Heat beat reporter, Ira Winderman.

Yep! A toe. Not exactly the plot twist Cavs fans were hoping for. Then again, this is an injury that has sidelined Darius Garland twice in mid-April. It’s a game-time decision, and knowing how NBA injury reports work, we’ll probably get a Woj tweet at 2:49 p.m. with the update.

The rest of the Cavs? Healthy. The real problem? Garland’s absence could throw a wrench in Cleveland’s offense. Moreover, this afternoon’s game at Kaseya Center has all the makings of a trap—bad vibes, big home crowd, and Tyler Herro coming off a 33-point flamethrower performance.

But don’t worry, let’s dive into the depth chart and see how they could weather the storm.

Cavs Depth Chart vs Heat in Game 3

Game 2 was much closer than Game 1, but the result was the same: Cleveland W. Donovan Mitchell? Automatic. Another 30-piece to start the playoffs. Mobley and Allen? Board men. Max Strus? Got his Revenge Tour T-shirt. And Darius Garland? Quietly kept the offense humming… on a bum toe.

If Garland can’t go, the Cavs are going to have to get creative with the guard rotation. Sam Merrill or Isaac Okoro might get the starting nod. Ty Jerome could see real playoff minutes (yep, we’re here), and don’t be shocked if Craig Porter Jr. gets tossed in to shake things up. It’s not ideal, but hey—this is why you build depth.

Here’s how the depth chart stacks up heading into Game 3:

Garland’s presence has fueled Cleveland’s playoff offense like premium gas—he’s posting .472/.401/.878 shooting splits, and ‘The 216’ outscore their opponents by nearly 12 points every 100 possessions when Garland’s on the court this series—that’s how big his impact is. That’s not a luxury—they need him. Especially if the plan is to keep this playoff run going beyond the “Happy to Be Here” round.

If Cleveland wants to be more than just the team that took care of the 8-seed, they need Darius Garland healthy and hooping. Miami might not have the firepower to pull off a comeback, but Boston, Philly, or Milwaukee? They eat wounded teams for breakfast.

The Cavs just need to survive and advance. Handle Miami, protect Garland’s toe, and keep the real playoff dreams alive. If that toe doesn’t heal, there’s a very good chance Cleveland’s title hopes limp with it.