- Paul Pierce backs notion that LeBron James wouldn’t beat fake Celtics superteam as he ‘ran him outta Cleveland’
- Donovan Mitchell rips Dillon Brooks: ‘It’s tough when you can’t guard somebody…you gotta resort to that’
- Report: Cavs and Mavericks interested in Cam Reddish
- Isaac Okoro declares he’s never played with someone ‘as tall or as dependable’ as Evan Mobley
- Report: Cavs believed to be targeting shooting help as deadline approaches
- Report: Cavs dangling Cedi Osman more than Caris LeVert in trade talks as they search for wing help
- Dean Wade sends stern warning to rest of NBA if Darius Garland isn’t named to All-Star Game
- Report: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George among several Clippers missing game vs. Cavs
- Cavs insider tells fans to keep an eye on Josh Hart as trade rumors swirl
- Report: Hawks big man John Collins has been connected to Cavs in trade rumors
Here’s the latest on Jarrett Allen’s chances to play in Friday’s elimination game for the Cavs
- Updated: April 13, 2022
The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to get All-Star guard Darius Garland some more help when they play on Friday for a chance to earn the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs will take on the winner of Wednesday night’s play-in game between the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks.
Cavs center Jarrett Allen, who missed Tuesday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets with a fractured finger, could return for the game on Friday, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.
However, Allen’s chances remain a coin flip at this point.
“Allen’s return would mitigate some of the issues,” Fedor wrote. “He continues to progress, able to use his left hand — the one with the fractured middle finger — during intense workouts. But a source still views Friday as a 50-50 proposition. The Cavs can’t bank on Allen to push them into the playoffs. As Tuesday night showed, Garland’s best may not be enough either.”
When healthy, Allen has been a key piece for the Cavs this season. He had arguably the best regular season of his career in the 2021-22 campaign by averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 67.7 percent from the field.
The Cavs simply didn’t have enough talent on the floor to beat the Nets on Tuesday. Cleveland lost the rebounding battle in the game as well. Allen’s presence down low would help the team immensely on the glass, and he’d also help a lot on the defensive end of the floor.
Cleveland will have some time to rest up before taking on the Hornets or Hawks, but the health of Allen could be a deciding factor in whether or not Cleveland makes the playoffs this season.
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