Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cavaliers Dealt Unwelcoming News in Game 4 vs. Heat

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 7:27 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to be the second team to book their place in the next round of the NBA playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder made easy work of the Memphis Grizzlies as the No. 1 seed in the West swept Ja Morant and Co. en route to the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Cavs will now be looking to do the same on Monday when they face off against the Miami Heat. Cleveland enters this matchup up 3-0, and they will be looking to close out this series in South Beach.

The Cavs, however, will need to try and do so without one of their best players available. This is after it was revealed right before tip-off that Darius Garland will be sitting out the game due to a toe sprain.

This will be Garland's second straight contest on the sidelines after missing Saturday's Game 3 win in Miami. There was some optimism that the two-time All-Star would be available for Game 4 after he was listed as questionable to play. The Cavs, however, ultimately decided to err on the side of caution here and let Garland rest for at least another game.

The fact that the Cavs are up 3-0 in this series may have played a factor in their decision to have Garland sit out Game 4. A win on Monday secures their spot in the second round, where they will face either the Indiana Pacers or the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's the Pacers who are up 3-1 in that series, but they don't play until Tuesday, which should give Garland more time to heal up.

There's no denying, however, that the Cavs will need him to be healthy as soon as possible as they look to keep their title hopes alive.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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