Cavs' Darius Garland steps up in historic win over Bucks
11/05/2024 10:41 AM
It’s a tried but true cliche, but teamwork makes the dream work for the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. Against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavs saw superstar Donovan Mitchell erupt for 13 points on 5-7 shooting in the first quarter. After Mitchell’s first quarter, he only had one point, going 0-8 from the floor and 1-2 from the free-throw line. Usually, that would spell disaster for Cleveland since Mitchell is the team’s offensive engine. However, in the Cavs’ 116-114 win over the Bucks, after Milwaukee zeroed in on Mitchell, Cleveland saw the remaining members of its Core Four, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, step up on both ends of the floor.
Darius Garland dazzles against Bucks to keep Cavs undefeated
"My head is free," Garland said postgame. "I'm playing freely. Confidence is super high. Teammates got my back. That is just going to make me keep going even harder. I really appreciate my teammates and my coaching staff for sure, just keeping my confidence super high, just keeping my head level and just telling me to be me. That's what I'm trying to do for the rest of the season."
Garland’s night against the Bucks was his highest scoring output since December 26, 2022, when the Cavs lost to the Brooklyn Nets. Garland dropped 46 points in that game but wasn’t too excited about the points and would’ve preferred his team to win. So, for Garland to have a career-best night, which more importantly led to a Cleveland victory, was something that the star guard was hoping for. Winning gives Garland joy in basketball’s chaos, and he shares his success with his team.
"That's the D.G. we all know," teammate Jarrett Allen said. "I mean, last year, we know that he went through something crazy that none of us has experienced, and you can see that his game took a dip. It's hard for anybody to go through that. But now he's back to his old self, and he's showing why he's one of the best point guards in the league. He took over in the fourth quarter. We put it in his hands to lead us to victory."
Garland suffered a fractured jaw that derailed last season. It was a frustrating year for the guard and Cavs fans alike. But Cleveland’s having Garland step up when they needed him most was exhilarating. The Cavs are flying high, tying a franchise record for the best start to a regular season at 8-0. With Garland playing like this, there’s no end to what the Cavs can do.
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