Legacies are created in Game 7 matchups. It’s also a time for players to step up and be heroes for their team and their city.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for their Game 7 against the Orlando Magic, there’s one player in particular they need more from for the full 48 minutes. That's Darius Garland.
The Cavs simply need Garland to be more aggressive in Game 7 if they have any hope of advancing to the next round. There have been times during this series when we’ve seen DG attack and be the All-Star point guard of the past. However, there have also been times when he's been passive and allowing others to take the lead.
That inconsistency can’t happen in a winner-take-all game.
Cleveland needs DG to be more like he was in the first quarter of Game 5 where he dropped a historic 17 points in the first quarter. In those 12 minutes, Garland was getting to the rim, knocking down long-range shots, and overall showed a renewed confidence in his game.
Even in the first half of Game 6 Garland did a good job of creating offense by penetrating the defense and driving in the paint. However, he vanished and even passed up open shots when the team needed him the most in the fourth quarter.
While Donovan Mitchell won’t admit it, his knee is clearly bothering him. That didn’t stop him from dropping 50 points on Friday night, but it remains to be seen how he looks on Sunday. This makes it that much more important for DG to come out attacking to take attention off Mitchell on the perimeter.
It’s been a tough season for Garland in terms of injuries and inconsistencies. The best part about a Game 7 is that none of the past matters. It’s all about the present and how you perform in one game and DG is more than capable of putting together an all-time performance.
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