The Cleveland Cavaliers grabbed a huge win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday evening, improving them to 8-0. The Cavs and Thunder are the only unbeaten teams in the Assocation.
Darius Garland balled out in this one, scoring 39 points and making history in the process with his stellar performance. This is the team’s best start since 1966-1967.
The Cavs are looking like the real deal and Garland is doing his part. After trade buzz all summer, the guard is proving his worth to this organization, averaging nearly 18 points per game on 40% shooting from downtown.
Following the victory, Garland said he’s feeling extremely confident so far and also thanked his teammates for always providing encouragement. Via Cleveland.com:
“My head is free,” Garland said pointedly following the 116-114 victory. “I’m playing freely. Confidence is super high. Teammates got my back. That is just going to make me keep going even harder. I really appreciate my teammates and my coaching staff for sure, just keeping my confidence super high, just keeping my head level and just telling me to be me. That’s what I’m trying to do for the rest of the season.”
Garland was 15 for 22 from the field on Monday. Sure, the PPG may not be huge, but he’s been very efficient. The former Vanderbilt standout also has a true shooting percentage over 60%.
The vibes are up in Cleveland and the core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Garland, and Jarrett Allen are all contributing at a high level. Garland suffered a fractured jaw last season and it significantly hurt his availability and even affected his love for the game briefly.
Allen knows this version of Garland is the one who can help Cleveland make a deep playoff run:
“That’s the D.G. we all know,” Allen said. “I mean, last year we know that he went through something crazy that none of us has experienced, and you can see that his game took a dip. It’s hard for anybody to go through that. But now he’s back to his old self, and he’s showing why he’s one of the best point guards in the league. He took over in the fourth quarter. We put it in his hands to lead us to victory.”
The Cavs are in the Big Easy on Friday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
