Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland made his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday night, helping his team to a 132-121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Garland, back after offseason surgery on his left big toe, scored eight points and dished out four assists in 26 minutes, returning to his role as floor general for the Cavs.
“Seeing the ball go through the hoop, passing the ball to 45 (Donovan Mitchell), Ev (Evan Mobley) and JA (Jarrett Allen) for sure,” Garland said postgame. “It was great to be back with the teammates.
Being around them makes me happy.
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The 24-year-old guard, who averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists last season, had missed the team’s first seven games following the surgery in June. The injury, a form of turf toe, also hampered him during last year’s playoffs.
Without Garland, Cleveland’s offense had looked out of sync — ranking fifth-lowest in offensive rating (111.3) after leading the NBA last season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson noted that his absence forced stars like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley into unfamiliar offensive roles.
Garland’s return provided the spark the Cavaliers had been missing as they improved their ball movement and tempo to earn a much-needed victory.
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