After the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Orleans Pelicans last night (3/13), Darius Garland spoke to NBA reporters about Donovan Mitchell returning to the lineup.
“He attracts so many people on the offensive end for us. You have to really load up on him,” Garland said. “You have to respect what he does and opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else.”
The Cavaliers defeated the Pelicans by a final score of 116-95 to improve to 42-24 on the season. Mitchell finished with 14 points, four rebounds and five assists in his return while shooting 5-of-16 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Garland benefited greatly from Mitchell being on the court. The Vanderbilt product put up 27 points and 11 assists while shooting 10-of-16 overall and 6-of-10 from 3.
With Mitchell on the floor, the Pelicans couldn’t load up on Garland.
The Cavaliers made 20 3-pointers versus the Pelicans. Six players scored in double-figures.
“That’s how we’re supposed to play,” Mitchell said. “Move the ball around, getting stops. It was just fun to watch and be a part of. We really stepped up against a great team. It was beautiful.”
The Cavaliers are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 18th in the NBA in points per game and fourth in points per game allowed.
“If we’re open, we want to take them. It boosts our offense because people have to chase us around,” Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff said. “We’ve tried to make the 3-point shot a weapon and I think we did a great job of it tonight.”
Mitchell is averaging 27.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season, while Garland is averaging 19.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Both All-Stars will have to play at a high level in the 2024 playoffs for the Cavaliers to go on a deep run.
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