NBA fines Cavaliers $250,000 for sitting Darius Garland in nationally televised game

On November 23 and 24, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a back-to-back matchup, at home against the struggling Clippers on Sunday, then on the road on Monday against the impressive Raptors, with their high-pressure defense. The Cavaliers chose to start Darius Garland in the game they most expected to win – against the Clippers – and rested him on Monday night in Toronto.

That decision will cost Toronto $250,000 for violating the NBA’s player attendance policy, a fine announced Thursday by the league.

Announcement

That game Monday in Toronto was televised nationally as part of NBA Peacock Monday and “the violation occurred when the Cavaliers failed to make Garland available for the team’s nationally televised game on November 24 and instead made him available on November 23, which was not a nationally televised game,” the NBA said in its statement announcing the fine.

The league ruled that Garland could play both consecutive halves. Garland has played in just eight of the Cavaliers’ 23 games this season, battling a toe issue that slowed him in last season’s playoffs.

The sum of $250,000 was due to the fact that this was the Cavaliers’ second violation of the player attendance policy. Cleveland was previously fined $100,000 for sitting Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against Miami in early November. After that fine, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said, “I have to look at the best interest of the Cavs.” I think my No. 1 job is to protect the health of our players.”