Darius Garland’s hot streak fueling Clippers’ recent surge

Darius Garland continues to look like a steal for the Clippers.

The two-time All-Star point guard dropped 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, added six assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block in 30 minutes as the Clippers rolled to their third straight win Wednesday night, beating Toronto by 25 points.

Garland has been on fire since making his Clippers debut on March 2. Over 11 games he’s averaging 21.1 points, 6.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals on strong .506/.512/.826 shooting splits while playing 27.7 minutes per night.

Kawhi Leonard has taken notice of the energy Garland is bringing.

“You see that he’s enjoying the game and he’s just loving it,” Leonard said, via Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I’ve played with guys like that before and he’s doing a great job, man. It’s when your hard work pays off, you make one of those shots or you’re just doing good, the excitement comes out of you.”

Garland’s ability to stretch the floor with deep shooting range has created easier looks for his teammates, including Leonard, who finished with 27 points, six rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. Leonard has now scored 20-plus points in 49 straight games.

The Clippers sit three games behind Phoenix for the No. 7 seed in the West (as of Thursday) and a half-game ahead of Portland for the No. 9 spot.