There was sometimes a slight Western atmosphere during this Cavaliers – Hornets Sunday. That of a duel of fine triggers right in the heart of this meeting apparently without much history or rivalry. But between Darius Garland et LaMelo Ballthere was a little more than this match in mind, with the desire to dominate a direct opponent for a selection in the next All-Star Game. And the face-to-face between the two leaders sparked.
From the start of the match, Darius Garland was in the mood to mark his territory, marking LaMelo Ball all over the place on throw-ins, even putting his opponent on the ground on a stroller.
On a mission, the Cavs player took advantage of his team’s lead in the second quarter to enter into direct confrontation with LaMelo Ball several possessions in a row. The Hornet found the fault despite good defense from Darius Garland? The latter responded to him at mid-distance after putting him in the wind on a dribble.
Darius Garland ‘wants to be an All-Star’
The two men exchanged pleasantries for a good part of the second quarter. “You flop” notably sent Darius Garland to LaMelo Ball after a whistle obtained by the Hornets star, at 6/7 on free throws over the period.
« I love it » laughed Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson at a press conference. “ It’s the NBA, the players are competitors. It’s like in the playground, you are facing your opponent and you exchange a little trashtalking, it doesn’t cross the limits. They are two good guys. This added a little spice to the game. It’s an entertainment league too so I think the fans benefited from that too. »
Darius Garland was not there to entertain the gallery. The 24-year-old was apparently stung by not seeing his name among the Eastern Conference’s Top 10 outsiders in the first fan voting tally for the All-Star Game. A ranking temporarily dominated by LaMelo Ball, providing additional motivation to make an impression.
« I want to be an All-Star » Darius Garland did not hide. “ I want to return to this level that I have already reached (it was in 2022, editor’s note), and I’m in good shape this season. I plan to be in San Francisco. »
Victory on points for the Cavs leader
The Hornets finally stopped the merry-go-round between the two leaders by calling two-handed catches to try to slow down Darius Garland and the Cavaliers’ ball circulation. “ He tried to get me one-on-one and he ended up scoring a not-great basket » considered the Cleveland player. “ I went back to the other side of the field, I tried to have the one-on-one on my turn but they sent a hold for two. It happened like that several times so it can’t really be called a battle. »
« I didn’t have the opportunity to respond with the same energy that he tried to put against me because of the two-handed holds. » he continued, a little annoyed. “ But like Ty Jerome said, it’s a sign of respect. So I’ll take the two-way take I guess. Although it wasn’t very fun. »
Darius Garland ended up winning his case in more than one way. He finished with 25 points, one more than his counterpart and with a much superior skill (8/14 against 7/20). But also the feeling of having been one of the leaders of a well-oiled team when LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller seemed too alone (10 more assists for the Cavaliers) to overthrow Cleveland, winner without trembling (115-105) .
Not sure that this is enough to change fan opinion for the All-Star Game. For the Cavs’ balance sheet, on the other hand, the good performance of their maestro was synonymous with their tenth consecutive victory, before facing the Thunder and their 15 successes in a row. The opportunity for Darius Garland to rub shoulders this time with the leader of the Western “guards” vote, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
| Darius Garland | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | CLE | 59 | 31 | 40.1 | 35.5 | 87.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 12.3 |
| 2020-21 | CLE | 54 | 33 | 45.1 | 39.5 | 84.8 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 17.4 |
| 2021-22 | CLE | 68 | 36 | 46.2 | 38.3 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.1 | 21.7 |
| 2022-23 | CLE | 69 | 36 | 46.2 | 41.0 | 86.3 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 21.6 |
| 2023-24 | CLE | 57 | 33 | 44.6 | 37.1 | 83.4 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 18.0 |
| 2024-25 | CLE | 33 | 30 | 49.3 | 42.7 | 91.1 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 6.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 20.4 |
| Total | 340 | 34 | 45.2 | 38.9 | 86.9 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 18.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
