Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff not expecting Darius Garland to play against Magic

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is not anticipating Darius Garland to play against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

In the Cavaliers’ 108-105 loss versus the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday, Garland suffered a laceration on the inside of his left eyelid after Gary Trent Jr. poked him in the eye.

Per NBA betting sites, the Cavaliers possess the 14th-best odds to win the championship this season. However, the team needs to stay healthy. Otherwise, some sportsbooks will lower their title odds.

#Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff does not anticipate Darius Garland (eye) playing tomorrow against Orlando.

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) October 25, 2022

Garland’s injury occurred with 3:56 left in the second quarter. The All-Star guard remained face down on the court for several minutes before walking off to the locker room with the medical staff.

“His head was clear and all those things, but he was cut and bleeding pretty bad from the inside of his eyelid,” revealed Bickerstaff after the loss.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff not expecting Darius Garland to play against Magic

Furthermore, Garland is aiming to return on Friday, Oct. 28, when the Cavaliers play the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Until then, fellow teammate Donovan Mitchell will have to carry the load.

“You miss an all-star,” continued Bickerstaff. “We stagger his and Donovan’s minutes so that one of those guys is always on the floor. We know through history what Garland is capable of and how he can carry an offense as well.”

Last Wednesday, during the postgame interview, Mitchell was asked about his teammate’s injury. “To see DG go down there, it’s tough,” said Mitchell. “I’m proud of the way this group responded.”

“He’s a fighter, he’s a competitor. He’s gonna be back strong.”

On Sunday, Garland attended the Cavaliers’ home opener against the Washington Wizards. Of course, the Cavs defeated the Wizards 117-108 in overtime.

Mitchell led Cleveland in scoring with 37 points in 45 minutes of action. In addition to shooting 12-of-29 from the field and 5-of-12 from outside the arc, the guard ended his performance with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

According to the rest of the Cavaliers injury report, guard Dylan Windler (ankle) is listed as day-to-day. Plus, guard Ricky Rubio (knee) is out indefinitely. At a press conference on Monday, Rubio said that he could return sometime in December.