Darius Garland Guts Through Pain, Sparks Cavs With Grit and Leadership Amid Struggles
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a rough patch right now-no way around it. Two tough losses in three days, both coming after what was supposed to be a reset week, have left the team searching for answers. But in the middle of that frustration, one thing is crystal clear: Darius Garland is showing exactly what leadership looks like when times get tough.
Playing through a nagging toe injury that’s been bothering him since a setback in Miami back on November 10, Garland isn’t just suiting up-he’s grinding. In Sunday’s overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets, he logged a team-high 39 minutes, dropped a season-high 26 points, dished out nine assists, and was everywhere on both ends of the floor. And he did it all while clearly in discomfort.
“I get paid a lot of money to do that, first and foremost. I love basketball,” Garland said after the game. “I love being out there with my teammates, enjoying their success.”
That mindset is resonating across the locker room. Donovan Mitchell, who knows a thing or two about playing through pain and pressure, didn’t hesitate to praise Garland’s effort and attitude.
“We know he's tough. We know he's fighting through a lot.
But for him to continue to put the team first, that's what we need,” Mitchell said. “I'm glad he had his best performance.
He's gonna get better and better for us.”
And this wasn’t just about numbers. This was about presence.
Garland’s downhill attacks opened up the offense. His defensive energy-especially late, when he matched up with Brandon Miller and took a hard off-arm to the chest-set a tone.
He even came up with a clutch block on Charlotte rookie Sion James, forcing a shot-clock violation that kept Cleveland alive.
“He broke through,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He gets these stingers when he makes a hard change of direction, hard plant, and I thought he played through it tonight. I feel like he's starting to find it a little bit-starting to get by, starting to get to the rim, starting to get into the paint a little more-that’s a positive.”
Garland’s impact wasn’t lost on his teammates either. Rookie Jaylon Tyson summed it up best: “That’s an All-Star.
That’s our point guard. That’s our guy.
I’m gonna ride or die with him. I love him to death, and I appreciate everything he’s done for me and this team.
We’re gonna keep rocking with him.”
Garland, understandably, is tired of talking about the toe. When asked about a moment in the fourth quarter where he went down grabbing his foot after a sharp dribble move, he confirmed it was the same injury, but didn’t want to dwell on it. He’s clearly focused on what he can control.
Atkinson, speaking before Sunday’s game, acknowledged the emotional toll that comes with working back from injury-especially for a player like Garland, who thrives on rhythm and reps.
“There’s a mental piece to it, and there’s a frustration to it,” Atkinson said. “My conversations with him are, ‘Don’t let the frustration bring down your energy.’
His energy, personally, and the energy of the team. It’s completely normal.
You miss three threes in a row, and you’re just like [sigh]. But you still gotta run back on defense.
Your energy still has to be good.”
That’s been the message: stay engaged, stay vocal, and lead even when the shots aren’t falling.
Garland himself admitted last week that the recovery process has been a grind-not just physically, but mentally. He’s been limited in back-to-backs and has had to follow a strict plan laid out after offseason surgery.
“It’s been a struggle,” Garland said. “Of course, not playing in the games I want to play in and not playing back-to-backs has sucked.
That was a doctor decision. That was a decision for all of us to make in the summertime when I had the surgery, so just trying to listen to the doctor, trying to be as healthy as I can for the time when we really need each other.”
And that time is now. The Cavs are in the thick of a mid-season funk, and Garland is refusing to let that spiral. He’s bringing energy from the floor to the bench, encouraging teammates, and keeping the locker room connected.
“He’s looking outside himself,” Atkinson said. “He’s engaging his teammates.
He’s talking to them. His positive spirit on the bench.
I just loved his energy [Sunday]. That’s what we need, and that’s kind of the ask as he goes through this struggle to get back to the DG we know.”
He’s even trying to rally the fans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, calling on Cleveland’s faithful to help lift the team out of this rut.
“I know it’s not a lot to cheer for right now, but we need the fans in it,” Garland said. “That gets us going.
So when the fans [are] not in it, the bench has to be into it. Larry [Nance Jr.] did a really good job, and Thomas [Bryant], on the bench [Sunday].
Really doing everything they can to try to get some energy in the arena, standing up, screaming from the other side of the floor. Really trying to find that energy.
That’s what we need.”
With a lighter week on the schedule and a home-and-home series against the Bulls on deck, the Cavs have a chance to reset again. But if there’s one thing they won’t have to worry about, it’s Darius Garland’s heart. He’s already leaving it all on the court.