The Cavaliers limped home from a four-game trip on a three-game losing streak after being beaten by the Celtics, 116-107, on Dec. 14 in Boston. Then the news got really bad.
The Cavs will be without two of their best players — Darius Garland and Evan Mobley — for at least a month because of injuries.
“Cavaliers guard Darius Garland sustained a fractured jaw during the third quarter of last night’s road game at Boston,” the Cavaliers announced in a statement on Dec. 15. “A CT scan administered this morning at Cleveland Clinic confirmed the injury. Garland will have a procedure to heal the affected area and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate.”
Garland was injured during a third-quarter collision with Celtics 7-foot-2, 240-pound power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Garland is 6-foot-1, 192 pounds.
Garland is averaging 20.7 points and 5.9 assists a game. He played in 20 of the first 25 games for the 13-12 Cavs.
Mobley missed the last four games with a left knee injury and might be sidelined until mid-February because he is scheduled for surgery.
“Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley will have arthroscopic left knee surgery at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health on Monday, December 18 to remove a loose body,” The team announced in a statement. “Recent imaging and a series of treatment and rehabilitation confirmed that surgery was the best option to alleviate the discomfort in the knee.
“Mobley has missed the Cavaliers’ previous four games and is expected to be out approximately six to eight weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate.”
Mobley averaged 16 points and 10.5 rebounds in 21 games before the injury sidelined him.
The Cavs are ninth in the NBA East and six games behind the first-place Celtics. They won three straight before losing in Orlando and losing back-to-back games in Boston.
“We’re talented enough to be able to play well when guys are out,” Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters in Boston on Dec. 14. “We’ve shown it. We obviously miss Ev but can’t put that all on him being out. We’re capable. We have shown that. It’s one of those things you can point to, but I don’t want to do that.”
The Cavs play their next four games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where they are 6-6 this season. They host the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 16, the Houston Rockets on Dec. 18, the Utah Jazz on Dec. 20 and the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 21.
The Hawks are 3-7 over their last 10 games. The Rockets have won four straight and the Jazz and Pelicans are each on two-game winning streaks.
HAWKS AT CAVALIERS
When: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 16
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Records: Hawks 9-14 (before Dec. 15), Cavaliers 13-12
TV: Bally Sports Ohio, NBA TV
