Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen couldn’t help but be stunned by Darius Garland’s performance early in their Game 2 showdown with the New York Knicks.
Garland got off to a hot start on Tuesday, exploding for 11 points in the first quarter alone before adding another 15 in the second to keep the Cavs ahead. Cleveland built a 20-point lead at the half, 59-39, thanks in large part to Garland’s scoring outburst.
As Garland continued to dominate in the contest, Allen didn’t hide his delight for his teammate. He also kept hyping up Garland while he was mic’d up.
Jarrett Allen’s reaction definitely made Darius Garland’s epic performance even more incredible. You just love to see teammates cheer for each other and encourage them.
The Cavs really needed that performance from Garland as well, especially after they lost their homecourt advantage following their Game 1 defeat to the Knicks. Garland only had 17 points in the said contest after he attempted just 13 shots–making seven of them.
Cleveland will need Garland to maintain the same intensity moving forward, especially when the series shifts to New York where plenty of ‘Bockers fans will look to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for them. Everyone knows how hard it is to play in the iconic Madison Square Garden, particularly in the playoffs.
Hopefully, though, Allen will also keep being a vocal leader on the court and push the team to do better. He’s already a big part of their offense and defense, but as what we’ve seen Tuesday night, he’s doing much more.