On Nov. 23 and 24, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a back-to-back, at home on Sunday against the struggling Clippers, then on the road 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 participation policy, a fine the league announced Thursday.
That Monday Toronto game was nationally televised as part of [Peacock NBA Monday](https://www.peacocktv.com/sports/nba?cid=2508sptnbanbspownedi26147&utm_campaign=2508sptnba&utm_source=nbcs_nbcspts_na&utm_medium=own_edi_acq_artl&utm_term=nbcuprtflo_nbcsportsappusers&utm_content=nbcsportsapparticle ) and “the violation occurred when the Cavaliers failed to make Garland available for the team’s nationally-televised game on Nov. 24 and instead made him available on Nov. 23 which was not a nationally-televised game,” the NBA said in its statement announcing the fine.
The league determined that Garland could have played both halves of the back-to-back. 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 $250,000 sum was because this was the Cavaliers second violation of the player participation policy. Cleveland had previously been fined $100,000 for sitting Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against Miami earlier in November. After that fine, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said, “I gotta look at the Cavs’ best interest.” I think my No. 1 job is to protect the health of our players.”
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