Tag Archives: Darius Garland

Cavaliers win streak ends with loss to Celtics

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The shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers were no match for the Boston Celtics as the 111-101 loss ends their six-game winning streak. 

The Cavaliers winning streak had to end sometime and due to circumstances beyond their control that time was Wednesday night. With eight players in health and safety protocols, the Cavs were facing an uphill battle from the start in Boston. Cleveland had a rough go shooting just 39.1% from the field and 9-38 from three point range. The Cavaliers eventually trailed by 23 points late in the 3rd quarter, but were able to chip away and only lose by 10 points when it was all said and done.

Darius Garland was one of just two regular Cavaliers starters in the game, (the other being Lauri Markannen), and the young guard led the team in scoring with 28 points. Garland made 11 of 22 field goal attempts and struggled from three, making just two of eight shots from deep.

As has been the case as of late, Kevin Love led Cleveland’s bench scoring with 18 points in 23 minutes. Love would also grab a game-high 12 rebounds.

Cedi Osman was the only other member of the Cavaliers to break double-digits, scoring 13 points on a 5-14 shooting effort (1-7 3PT).

It was a memorable night for Tacko Fall as he made his first career start and finished with a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with four points and two blocks.

The loss was the first since December 6th, ending a six-game winning streak. Cleveland will have a small and much needed break before retuning to action Sunday against Toronto. 

Cavaliers take down shorthanded Bucks

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The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks and came away with a decisive 119-90 victory.

There is one thing that the Cleveland Cavaliers must continue to do, win. That is just what they did Saturday night as they took down a shorthanded Bucks squad. After trading leads throughout most of the 1st quarter, the Cavs eventually took the lead and didn’t look back. From the last point Cleveland trailed to the end of the game, the Cavaliers outscored the Bucks 115-75. Cleveland made 50% of their shots including 16 three-pointers en route to the lopsided victory.

Due to various reasons the version of the Milwaukee Bucks the Cleveland Cavaliers faced was not anything resembling the reigning NBA Champions. Milwaukee found themselves without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Rodney Hood, Bobby Portis, Done DiVincenzo, Wesley Matthews, and Brook Lopez. The Bucks starting five on Saturday had a total of 20 combined starts this season, 12 of which are credited to George Hill.

Leading the Cavaliers scoring effort was Cedi Osman who finished with 23 points in 27 minutes off the bench, right behind him though was Darius Garland with 22 on an efficient 10-13 from the field. Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio also contributed 15 points each while Jarrett Allen scored 14 of his own.

The Cavaliers are now 19-12 on the season and are far exceeding any realistic expectations for this team. Cleveland will travel to Atlanta Sunday to face a healthier Hawks squad looking for their seventh straight win.

 

Cavaliers demolish Rockets 124-89

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On the strength of 18 three-pointers, the Cleveland Cavaliers destroyed the Houston Rockets by a score of 124-89.

Make it five straight wins for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even without dynamic rookie Evan Mobley, the Cavs were able to take care of business and hand the Houston Rockets a 35-point loss. Like Cleveland, Houston was also on a hot streak, winning eight of their previous 10 games. Houston was without a few of their key players (Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., Eric Gordon, Jalen Green, John Wall, Daniel House Jr.) which may have played a factor in the final differential.

The major difference between the two teams was three-point shooting. Houston struggled from deep, going just 5-29 while the Cavaliers connected on 18 of 40 attempts. Whenever a team makes 13 more threes than the other it will usually be a lopsided victory and the was the case for the Cavs Wednesday.

It was mostly a group effort scoring wise, but Darius Garland led the way with 21 points.  Garland was 7-11 from the field including being tied for a team-high three makes from deep. Isaac Okoro joined Garland as the only players to score 20 or more points. Okoro made seven of nine field goals (3-3 3PT) as his recent scoring surge continues. Okoro is averaging 18.5 points per game over his last four games while showing signs of improvement offensively.

Since the Cavaliers were without Evan Mobley someone had to step in and that someone was Dean Wade. Wade came through with a 16 point 10 rebound performance and contributed to the downtown onslaught making three of five attempts.

Kevin Love also made three shots from deep as he finished with 15 points, his six straight game with 10 or more points off the bench. Love has made just over 50% of his three-point attempts in December and has been a valuable player off the bench.

The Cavaliers are 18-12 and now sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will be off for two days before beginning a road trip Saturday in Milwaukee.

Cavaliers cool Heat, win fourth straight

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Miami Heat by a score of 105-94 as they won their fourth consecutive game.

It’s time to start taking the Cleveland Cavaliers seriously. The Cavs controlled their Monday night contest with the Miami Heat for the majority of the game and were able to avoid the usual pitfalls they found themselves into in previous seasons. Miami battled and were keeping up with Cleveland for most of the contest until the Cavaliers put the game away midway through the 4th.

With the win Cleveland did something that they have not accomplished since February 4, 2010. The Cavaliers defeated the Heat in two straight games with one of those games taking place in Miami for the first time since the first LeBron James era. The Cavs have defeated the Heat in consecutive games prior to Monday, but that elusive win in Miami did not happen until earlier this season.

Game Notes

A major reason for why the Cavaliers were able to beat the Heat was the difference at the free throw line. Miami went 5-9 while Cleveland was 17-18, being able to get shots at the charity stripe and converting them at a high rate more often than not will lead to a win.

Leading Cleveland’s scoring attack was none other than Kevin Love. Coming of the bench, Love scored 23 points on the strength of making five of eight three-point attempts and all six free throws in just 24 minutes. Love’s 23 points was tied for a game high with Miami’s P.J. Tucker.

Isaac Okoro had his third straight impressive scoring night, finishing with 18 points with most of his damage coming from deep (4-8 3PT). Okoro’s effectiveness from deep certainly played a part in the Cavaliers win.

Jarrett Allen finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block. While Allen’s double-double streak came to an end, the double-digit scoring streak continues as he scored 10 or more points in 19 straight games. Prior to this streak beginning on November 1st, Allen scored just 14 points combined in the previous three games.

It was an all around solid game for rising star Darius Garland. Garland had 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals for the Cavs. While it was not a great shooting night for Garland, (5-16 FG, 3-7 3PT), the fact he can impact in the game in other areas separates him from others.

With the win the Cavaliers are now 17-12 on the year and are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland’s current four game winning streak is tied with two other streaks earlier in the year for longest of the season. The Cavs can make it five in a row as they take on the Houston Rockets Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Cavaliers dominant in win over Kings

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The Cleveland Cavaliers controlled their Saturday night contest with the Sacramento Kings from start to finish.

There was not a point on Saturday night which made anyone feel that the Cleveland Cavaliers were in danger of losing to the Sacramento Kings. The Cavs were not the welcoming party that Sacramento was hoping for as they ran them out of the building. Cleveland was able to build their lead up to 29 points, coming at the end of their 45 point 2nd quarter. While the Cavs were outscored 51-36 in the second half, they had built such a large lead that it did not matter as Cleveland was able to hang on for a 117-103 win.

It was a team wide offensive onslaught which propelled the Cavaliers over the Kings. While there was not a singular player who scored in bunches, six players scored 15 points or more. Leading the Cavs in points was Isaac Okoro with 20, a season-high. Joining Okoro in the surprising scoring output department was Cedi Osman. Osman finished with 18 points, making his first six shots of the game.

With Okoro and Osman primarily being scoring threats, others were able to score and make an impact in other areas of the game compiling double-doubles. Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Evan Mobley had a casual 15-15 game (PTS, REBS), and Darius Garland had 16 points and 13 assists.

This was the exact type of game that the Cavaliers have to win. This team is starting to gain some momentum and is getting noticed by those outside of Cleveland. In order to take the next step they desire, winning games against teams that are the caliber of the Kings is a must. Win decisively against the bottom feeders while at least being competitive with the playoff teams and things start to look a lot brighter.

The Cavaliers have a tough matchup Monday night as they host the Miami Heat looking to avenge their loss earlier this season. 

 

Cavaliers bully Bulls in 115-92 win

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to take care of business at home against a shorthanded Chicago Bulls team.

After competitive games but losses to the Bucks and Jazz, the Cleveland Cavaliers were looking to reverse their fortunes and they had that opportunity while taking on the Chicago Bulls. Chicago was without Demar Derozen and Alex Caruso which gave the Cavs the advantage they needed to break their losing streak.

Cleveland shot an impressive 46.4% from three point range, making 13 of their 28 attempts, nearly double the makes of Chicago. The three-point barrage at one point built the Cavaliers lead up to 26 late in the 4th quarter.

Darius Garland bounced back from an off game their previous game, scoring a game-high 24 points on 9-16 from the field and 3-7 from deep. One thing has become clear this season, when Garland is able to score at this rate the Cavs are usually able to at least be competitive in games.

It was another impressive performance from Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers rookie made an impact in multiple facets of the game, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, two steals, and one assist. Mobley is certainly on the fast track towards Rooke of the Year as long as he continues to play at this level.

After his double-double streak ended, Jarrett Allen rebounded against the Bulls and perhaps is starting a new streak. Allen had 13 points and 12 rebounds in addition to four rebounds, one block, and one assist.

With the win Cleveland is 14-12 on the year and currently sit in the seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers will have a chance to win their second straight game as they travel to take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota Friday night.

Cavaliers fall short in Milwaukee, lose to Bucks

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to keep things competitive in Milwaukee, but ultimately the Bucks came out on top.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Milwaukee. While the Cavs have played above expectations up to this point, the fact of the matter is that they do not have the same star power as the reigning champs. The difference in overall talent ultimately made the difference as the Cavaliers found themselves on the wrong side of a 112-104 final score.

It was not a great night for Darius Garland to have a bad night. After two straight games scoring 30+, Garland only managed 10 points on a 3-12 shooting effort. While expecting Garland to continue to score in that range is not realistic, somewhere between 10 and 30 is more than reasonable.

With Garland struggling someone had to pick up the scoring load and that someone was Jarrett Allen. Allen scored a team-high 25 points while making 10 of 12 shots from the field and all five free throws. Although Allen’s double-double streak came to an end at seven after only collecting nine rebounds.

The second-highest scorer for the Cavaliers was Lauri Markkanen with 20 points on 7-15 from the field (4-9 3PT). When an opponent can force Markkanen to be the second-highest scorer that is not a good sign. Markkanen is a fine player, but should not be leading the team in field goal attempts.

Kevin Love was the highest-scoring bench player in the contest with 15 points. Love only attempted three-pointers and went 5-11 from deep.

Now losers of two straight, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now 13-12 on the year and are in ninth in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is averaging just 104.6 points per game, which is the third-fewest in the conference and could be a sign of things to come moving forward. The Cavs have a chance to end their losing streak Wednesday at home as they take on the Chicago Bulls.

Cavaliers keep it close, lose to Jazz

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to be competitive and even had a chance to win, but ultimately lost to Utah 109-108.

With 17.9 seconds to play the Cleveland Cavaliers had possession and had the opportunity to set up a game-winning shot. Darius Garland missed a three-pointer with just 2.9 left on the clock and an attempted tip from Evan Mobley also did not go in. While the Cavaliers did not win the game, being competitive against a team like the Utah Jazz is impressive. Cleveland was able to battle with Utah for the entire contest, even closing a 15-point deficit in the 4th to give them a chance to win.

Even though his game-winner did not go in, Garland had another outstanding performance. Garland finished with 31 points on an 11-19 shooting night, making five three-pointers and four free throws. In addition the scoring production, Garland also had five assists, four steals, and one block.

Like their last game, Jarrett Allen was impressive yet again. Allen collected his seventh straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The combination of Garland and Allen have proven to be a formidable duo that teams must account for when getting ready to play the Cavs.

Cleveland has shown that they are not an easy win on the schedule for their opponents. Wins may be hard to come by as the season progresses, but right now they are the best team in town and that is something that fans of the other teams need to lean on.

With the loss the Cavaliers are 13-11 and currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will look to rebound Monday night when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the 15-9 Bucks.

Cavaliers win fourth straight game

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wizards 116-101 en route to their fourth consecutive victory.

Midway through the 2nd quarter it was quite apparent that the Cleveland Cavaliers were going to come away with a comfortable win in Washington. As the game progressed that was confirmed as the Cavs at one point led by 36 in the 3rd quarter. While the Wizards were alto cut into the lead in the 4th, Cleveland was still able to win by double-digits 116-101.

Leading the way for the Cavaliers was Darius Garland. Garland nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. This performance made Cavaliers history as Garland is just the third player to have this stat line before the age of 22, the others being LeBron James and Kyrie Irving per StatMuse.

It was an effective shooting night for Garland as he made 11 of his 17 field goal attempts including five of six from deep in addition to all five free throws. The breakout season for Garland continues as this is the second time in four games the young guard has finished with a double-double and fifth time in the last eight games scoring 24 points or more.

Garland was not alone as Jarrett Allen scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double.

With the win the Cavaliers are now 13-10 on the year and currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. This was the third straight road win for Cleveland and fourth straight overall. Cleveland swept a road trip against winning teams for the first time since 1975.

The Cavaliers are off on Saturday before returning home to take on the 15-7 Utah Jazz Sunday afternoon. A win against Utah would have the Cavs four games over .500 for the first time in nearly a month.

 

Cavaliers defeat Mavericks 114-96

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The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second consecutive game, defeating the Dallas Mavericks by a comfortable margin.

At one point the Cleveland Cavaliers held a 31-point lead over the Mavericks as they came away with a decisive 18-point win over Dallas. After leading by just 11 at the half, Cleveland took control in the 3rd and kept their foot on the gas until they built their lead to a point where they could not lose. Dallas would score 23 points over the final seven minutes of the game to make the score differential more respectable, but the scoreboard does not necessarily indicate how much better the Cavs were Monday.

Leading the way for the Cavaliers was Jarrett Allen. Allen finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and one block. It was a 12-17 shooting night for Allen, who also made four of six free throw attempts. Allen did not do everything alone as another member of Tower City, Lauri Markkanen, also had a productive night. Markkanen had 24 points on 9-15 shooting (5-9 3PT) and eight rebounds, helping lead the Cavs to victory.

Darius Garland continued his streak of being a key cog for the Cavaliers. Garland scored 18 points while making seven of 13 field goal attempts. Additionally, Garland had a team-high nine assists along with two rebounds.

Cleveland’s road trip continues as they travel to Miami to take on the Heat Wednesday. Miami is currently in third place in the Eastern Conference while the Cavaliers are ninth. It will be a tough test for the Cavs as they have struggled against teams of Miami’s caliber.