Garland and Mitchell lead Cavs to bounce-back win over Timberwolves
Cleveland rebounded with a 124-117 victory thanks to 65 combined points from their starting backcourt.
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had much adversity this season, but they’ve responded well to the little bit that they’ve had. They entered Saturday’s game coming off their worst loss of the season to the Oklahoma City Thunder and were without Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro.
The Cavs responded to the challenge well led by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell as they skated to a 124-117 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The guards took turns carrying the Cavs throughout the night. Mitchell set the tone early after struggling mightily in his last outing against OKC. He made sure that wasn’t going to happen again as he put up 10 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second.
Garland picked things up in the second half. The Cavs came out of the break tied and Garland made sure it wasn’t going to stay that way for long. He scored 10 points in the third quarter to help create separation. Garland then closed the game in the fourth by adding nine more.
Garland’s control of each possession continues to be impressive. The game is slowing down for him in a way it hasn’t before. That’s seen in how he’s able to consistently—and seemingly easily—manipulate the defense to create angles for himself and his teammates. His lethal outside shot, which was on display again as he went 5-10 from beyond the arc, makes him almost unguardable.
Nights like this, where both guards were able to have this type of offensive impact, were few and far between in years past. It seemed like for one to go off, the other would have to retreat into the background. That hasn’t happened this season and didn’t occur tonight. Both players were able to still fully play in a way that allowed the offense to be at its best.
Garland finished with 29 points on 8-19 shooting with 6 assists. Mitchell provided 26 points on 12-27 shooting with 7 helpers.
The Cavs also benefited from strong showings from Jarrett Allen (14 points on 6-9 shooting), Georges Niang (15 points and 10 rebounds), and Ty Jerome (15 points and 4 assists).
Minnesota was led by Anthony Edwards, 28 points on 9-22 shooting, and Julius Randle, 20 points on 7-12 shooting and 14 boards.
The final score ended up being closer than the game actually was. The Cavs pushed the lead to 20 in the fourth quarter and coasted down the stretch to grab the seven-point victory. The Timberwolves were never able to get below the seven-point threshold in the fourth quarter.
This wasn’t necessarily a statement win, but it was one you can feel good about. The Cavaliers were embarrassed on national TV in a showcase game and responded with an all-around performance on the road against a talented team. It’s exactly what you wanted to see.