On March 7, Beijing time, the Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 104-96 at home. The Cavaliers, who won the game, couldn't laugh: center Jarrett Allen was injured in the game and only played 10 minutes before leaving early. According to NBA celebrity Shams, Allen suffered a left quadriceps contusion + a finger fracture, an indefinite truce, and further evaluation is needed.
Before leaving, Aaron sent 2 big caps! With just one month left in the regular season, this is undoubtedly the worst news for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are currently sixth in the East with 37 wins and 27 losses, one win behind fifth-place Green Army, two wins behind fourth-place Bulls and three wins ahead of seventh-place Raptors. Will the Cavaliers still have a chance to rush to the top half?
Although the Cavaliers also have Mobley and Love on the inside, neither of them can replace Allen on the defensive end. So far this season, Allen has played in 55 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 16 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals per game. He averaged just 9.7 shots per game and shot second in the league with 67.7 percent shooting, behind gobert (71.3 percent).
Allen is the fourth player in the NBA after Chamberlain, Gilmore and Gobert to average 15+10 per game this season with a shooting percentage of more than 65 percent. On February 15, the NBA officially announced that Harden missed the All-Star due to injury, and Jarrett Allen was selected. He also became Garland's second Cavaliers player to be named to the All-Star Game this season.
On Feb. 5, the Cavaliers played against the Hornets, and Allen shot 12-of-20, dropping 29 points, 22 rebounds and two assists, including 11 frontcourt boards. In the 2021 offseason, Allen completed a contract extension of $100 million in 5 years and the Cavaliers. At that time, many people thought it would be a garbage contract, after all, when he was at the Nets, Allen also had to play a substitute for Jordan Jr.
If you think about it, Allen made an All-Star with an annual salary of $20 million, and this contract is completely worth the money. Although wearing a retro haircut, he was actually born on April 21, 1998, and is currently under the age of 24. Allen and Garland have become the core of the Cavaliers' interior and exterior, and the team lineup will be built around them.
Garland had previously been plagued by back pain and other injuries, playing only three games in February before officially returning on March 3. In the last three games, Garland has scored 33 points, 3 boards and 4 assists, 26 points, 4 boards and 19 assists, and 17 points, 3 boards and 10 assists. In the last 32 years, only three players have had 26 points, 19 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a single game: Stockton, Westbrook and Garland.
Garland was born on January 26, 2000, and is now 22 years old. He is mature and calm on the field, not at all like a post-00 player. Garland has scored 25 points and 15 assists in a single game twice this season, and only three players in Cavaliers history can do it, followed by James and Andre Miller.
The Cavaliers have been miserable this season, with multiple players on the team injured: Sexton Meniscus Surgery Season Reimbursement; Rubio Cruciate Ligament Surgery Season Reimbursement, sent to the Pacers on Feb. 8; Traded Le Vere missed at least 2 weeks due to an ankle sprain; Rondo sprained toe, missing for 2 weeks.
During Garland's recuperation, the Cavaliers slipped from third in the East to sixth in the East. Now that Allen is injured, can the Cavaliers still retain the sixth place in the East? Finally, I hope Aaron can recover soon!