It's no secret Darius Garland has been searching for his shot ever since returning from his fractured jaw. Sometimes the best way to get back into a rhythm is to be forced into high-leverage situations that require you to make shots.
This is the exact situation DG and the Cleveland Cavaliers found themselves in on Friday night and their primary point guard shined. Garland finished with 34 points, four rebounds, and eight assists leading the Cavs to a win over the Eastern Conference's one-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
J.B. Bickerstaff had nothing but praise for DG after the game.
"He willed us," said Bickerstaff. "I was so happy to see - fourth quarter, overtime - the ball in his hands and he makes plays. He made play after play. Whether it was scoring, whether it was facilitating, he took the game over ... the game was in his hands and we were gonna live or die with it."
It took a while for Garland to find his shot, but he was unstoppable once he did. 17 of DG's points came in the fourth quarter and overtime as Cleveland made their final push. This was also DG's third 30+ performance of the season and his first since December 11, 2023.
Cleveland still has several unknowns with starters Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus still sidelined with injury. Bickerstaff may not know what his rotation will look like two, three, or four days from now, but he believes in DG to lead this group.
"We know what Darius is capable of. We believe in Darius wholeheartedly. In the NBA, guys go through ups and downs, but the great ones figure out a way to come out. He puts the time in, works his tail off, his teammates believe in him, and we know he's going to make the plays when we need him."
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