After suffering an eye injury that caused him to miss five games, Darius Garland was back in the starting lineup for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
He had a brilliant game, putting up 29 points, 12 assists, and three steals while going 5-of-11 from 3-point range as the Cavs downed the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in overtime, 114-113.
Fans are undoubtedly happy to have Garland back healthy and in the fold, and they’re excited about the damage he and Donovan Mitchell will do to the rest of the NBA.
This duo is gonna set the LAND on 🔥 #facts
— Dathan Hunt (@DathanHunt) November 3, 2022
Darius Garland’s passing ability is unbelievable
— soss gardner (@MantanaSoss) November 3, 2022
#Darius ur eye is still half swollen & u scored 29 points, what a G pic.twitter.com/IKyaTMsUf6
— ShadowwBan (@ShadowwBan) November 3, 2022
Cleveland fell behind to Jayson Tatum and company by 15 at one point of the contest, but behind Garland’s excellent play, it was able to come back and outlast the Celtics in overtime.
The @cavs' backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell propelled them to their 6th-straight victory in another OT thriller against the Celtics! #LetEmKnow@spidadmitchell: 25 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, @dariusgarland22: 29 PTS, 5 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL, 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/OoosJEIvur
— NBA (@NBA) November 3, 2022
Cleveland Fans Are Feeling Cavalier
There is a growing feeling around the league that Garland and Mitchell may be the best backcourt in the NBA, especially with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors struggling out of the gate with a 3-5 record.
When combined with the athletic, rim-running, and shot-blocking frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs are suddenly looking like a formidable team.
More and more people feel Cleveland has the best and most promising young core in basketball.
NBA GMs voted the Cavs as the best young core in the NBA pic.twitter.com/X852NuuEhN
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) October 5, 2022
With a 6-1 record, the Cavs are off to their best start in years, and they can be much better, as Mobley has barely tapped into what is considered to be immense potential.
They may not win the world championship anytime soon, but they’re certainly on the rise, and it may not be too long before another championship parade is held in downtown Cleveland.
NEXT: Donovan Mitchell Is Dominating With The Cavaliers