The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2025-26 NBA season with high expectations after finishing last year with a 64-18 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, just before their regular season opener against the New York Knicks , injuries have cast an early shadow over those aspirations.

Heading into the matchup, the Cavaliers announced that All-Star guard Darius Garland (toe surgery) and forward Max Strus (foot) will miss Wednesday’s game at Madison Square Garden. To make matters worse, starting forward De’Andre Hunter is listed as questionable with a right knee contusion suffered in the preseason finale.

“It was a knee-to-knee in that Detroit game,” Atkinson explained. “Just banged knees. So it's a contusion, we're labeling it. A pretty good hit.”

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