Cavaliers' Guard Darius Garland Shockingly Ruled Out for Game 3 Against Heat

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without their star guard, Darius Garland, for Game 3 of their first-round series matchup against the Miami Heat.

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Garland has been ruled out for Saturday's game due to a toe injury.

The Cavaliers will start Sam Merrill in place of Garland.

Garland has been downgraded from questionable to out Saturday due to a left great toe sprain. His next chance to suit up is Monday's Game 4 against Miami.

Garland's toe injury apparently caused him some problems even prior to the playoffs. He missed two of the last three games of the regular season due to it. It has yet to affect him in the playoffs up until now.

The Cavaliers will certainly be hampered in this game as they are without a doubt their second-best offensive player on the court. In the series, Garland has been terrific, averaging 24.0 points per game, 7.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.

In the regular season, Garland played in 75 games, where he averaged 20.6 points per game, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds.

Cleveland will look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead as this series now shifts to South Beach. The Cavaliers will look to remain undefeated in these playoffs after taking care of business sitting at home. In both contests, they scored 121 points and were carried on offense by their All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell.

The Heat have recorded a 24-28 mark against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami has been strong defensively, ranking seventh in the NBA by allowing just 110.0 points per game and holding teams to 46.6 percent shooting from the field.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have thrived within the conference, posting a 41-11 record against the East. Cleveland also ranks fifth in the conference in paint scoring, averaging 51.3 points per game in that area, with Evan Mobley leading the charge at 11.6 points per game.

The Cavaliers were stellar all season, but especially on the road, where they recorded a 30-11 record. As for the Heat, they went 19-22 in front of their home crowds and have lost their last three home games.

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