Darius Garland Out for Cavs-Heat Rematch with Toe Injury

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has been ruled out for Wednesday's rematch against the Miami Heat after aggravating a left great toe injury during Monday night's 140-138 overtime loss in Miami. The two-time All-Star exited in the third quarter, marking only his third appearance this season following offseason surgery on the same toe.

Garland, who underwent the procedure in June to address an issue that hampered him during the final month of last season's regular season and the playoffs, had missed Cleveland's first seven games while completing his recovery. He debuted on November 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring eight points and providing four assists in a 132-121 victory. In his next outing Friday against the Washington Wizards, he tallied 20 points and nine assists in a 33-point win. Against the Heat, Garland managed 11 points on 2-for-9 shooting in 19 minutes before limping off. The Cavaliers described the setback as injury management, with no specific timeline for his return announced pending further evaluation.

The injury appeared to stem from a second-quarter drive to the basket, where Garland drew a foul from Heat forward Nikola Jovic and fell awkwardly....