The Cleveland lost to Minnesota 129-124 It will end up being just a joke. The Cavaliers, without Donovan Mitchell, started the game very poorly (40-20 in the first quarter) and despite coming close to an epic comeback in the fourth quarter, they ended up on the edge. However, the balance for some Cavs with an 8-5 record will once again be clearly positive, not only because of the ability he showed to respond without their best scorer, but mostly because of a unforgettable performance by Darius Garland.
Without Mitchell, the point guard had to assume a higher rating load than usual and responded with the best game of his short NBA career: 51 points, 6 assists, 16-31 from the field and 10-15 on 3-pointers. Except for a series of turnovers in the final quarter that breathed life into a Cleveland that looked completely out of the game.
Darius Garland has 51 points — 27 of them in the fourth quarter 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AqjSJqWZQb
—NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 14, 2022
Garland’s 51 points represent the maximum of the 2022-2023 season and also allows him to transform into the third player in Cleveland history to reach that number: Lebron James he came to her eight times and Kyrie Irving in two. Both also share the all-time high, with 57 points.
Although Garland was already an All-Star last season, performances like tonight’s finish cemented him as real star of the league and one of the best references in its place. Above all because of its adaptability: the almost 9 assists he averaged It was the fifth-highest mark in the contest, but against Minnesota he showed that when his team needs him, it can fulfill more than just the scoring aspect.
🔥 @dariusgarland22 she was crazy in the second half, dropping 32 points to put up her first 50+ point game of the season!
51 PTS (career high), 6 AST, 10 3 p.m. (career high) pic.twitter.com/V4FpVfDK1D
—NBA (@NBA) November 14, 2022
Garland came to fight with 19 assists last season. And now, one in which exceeds 50 degrees. This combination of passing and scoring is reserved for a absolute elite team. Among active players, the only ones to reach both points are (besides the Cavs point guard); Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Lebron James Y Luka Doncic.
Only five names. Not even Chris Paul (never exceeded 43 degrees) or James Harden (top 17 assists) matched their career highs. Garland has already done it and she’s only 22 years old.
with his own mastery of the pick and roll and endless resources to play with the ball in his possession, Garland is a talent with few equals in the league. And when you add to that a Mitchell in MVP mode and decisive defenders like Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, it’s no surprise that Cleveland is one of the teams with better feelings this start of the NBA campaign.
