Cavs guard Darius Garland ruled out of Game 4 against the Heat with sprained toe

Darius Garland will get at least a couple more days off, after the Cleveland Cavaliers ruled the All-Star guard out of Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Garland is dealing with a sprained left great toe.

The Cavs entered Monday with a 3-0 series lead. Game 5, if necessary, would be at Cleveland on Wednesday. If Cleveland wins Game 4, it would be off until a home series-opener in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana or Milwaukee — and that matchup wouldn’t start until Saturday at the earliest.

Garland aggravated the issue late in Game 2. He sat out Cleveland’s 121-84 win in Game 3 on Saturday, then tried to do some things on the court before the game Monday before the Cavs made the decision to sit him again.

“I think I’ve said this: I don’t think it’s an eight-week thing,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think it’s managing pain and the toe’s a tough one. You’re just constantly hitting it.”

Garland was one of about 10 Cavs players at an optional workout Sunday at the University of Miami. He didn’t take part in any scrimmaging during that session.

Garland averaged 24 points and a team-best seven assists per game in the first two games of the series.

For the season, Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists for Cleveland. The Cavs entered Monday at 62-15 when Garland plays this season, including playoffs, and 5-3 when he does not.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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