TITLE: Garland’s return lifts Cavaliers over depleted Pacers 120-109 in NBA Cup matchup
SLUG: garland-leads-cavs-over-pacers-120-109-nba-cup
CONTENT:
The Cleveland Cavaliers rediscovered their offensive rhythm Friday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 120-109 in an NBA Cup game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Point guard Darius Garland, back after a brief absence, guided Cleveland (11-6) to 48 percent shooting from the floor and 37 percent accuracy from three-point range. Garland finished with 20 points and seven assists, helping the Cavaliers post 10 lead changes and nine ties before pulling away for good.
Donovan Mitchell paced the scoring with 32 points on 11-for-22 shooting. Fellow starters Evan Mobley (22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) and De’Andre Hunter (20 points) also reached the 20-point mark, while reserve Jaylon Tyson added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting after clearing concussion protocol.
“Does the offense look different with Garland out there? Oh yeah,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We were able to get downhill, and he’s the reason for that.”
Indiana (2-14) played without star guard Tyrese Haliburton and several injured rotation pieces. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 32 points, Pascal Siakam scored 26, and Bennedict Mathurin contributed 21. However, the shorthanded visitors could not contain Cleveland’s balanced attack; the Cavaliers’ largest advantage reached 22 points in the second half.
Veteran guard Lonzo Ball chipped in five assists and seven rebounds for Cleveland. Center Jarrett Allen (finger) was a late scratch, and Sam Merrill (hand) missed his second straight contest, though neither injury is considered serious.
The Cavaliers conclude their six-game homestand Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, another injury-affected opponent, before heading back on the road.
Source: Hoops Wire
