The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, February 4, with both teams dealing with notable injuries.
Cleveland’s lineup will be missing Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Emanuel Miller, while the Clippers are without Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, TyTy Washington Jr., and James Harden, who was recently acquired by the Cavaliers in a trade with Los Angeles.
Garland, sidelined since January 14 with a right great toe sprain, has appeared in 27 games this season, averaging 18 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game. Mobley remains out with a left calf strain, contributing 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4 assists per contest. Strus continues to recover from left foot surgery for a Jones fracture, and Miller is unavailable under his two-way G League contract.
Harden will not play due to personal reasons after being traded to Cleveland in a deal that sent Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to Los Angeles. Harden averaged 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds over 45 games this season with the Clippers. Beal remains sidelined with a left hip fracture, and Paul is absent from the Clippers’ travel squad, while Washington Jr. is unavailable on his two-way contract.
The Cavaliers enter the matchup with a 30-21 record, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, while the Clippers hold a 23-26 record, ninth in the Western Conference.
Cleveland’s recent transactions, including the trade of De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento on February 1, have altered rotation depth, particularly on the wing.
Key contributors expected to shoulder larger roles include Donovan Mitchell for Cleveland, who averages 29.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, and Leonard for Los Angeles, posting 27.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
