Darius Garland 'Needed That' Clutch Shot in Cavaliers Victory

Donovan Mitchell said that Darius Garland's maturity was on display after he hit a clutch shot for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Darius Garland found himself with the ball in his hands with a chance to hit a game-winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. However, the ball came up short and so did the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The point guard found himself in a similar position on Wednesday night as the Cavs were tied with the Chicago Bulls with less than a minute left and redeemed himself. DG, guarded by elite defender Alex Caruso, created space and hit a huge three-pointer to give Cleveland the lead with just over a minute left.

The Cavs then came up with a big stop on the defensive end which clinched a victory. Garland released a ton of emotion after the final buzzer went off and it's clear he's starting to return to the form fans all know and love. 

Feb 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Mitchell praised Garland for not only what he could do on the floor, but also how his mentality returned to form. 

"The biggest thing is to come and do that after Philly, it says a lot about the mental maturity of him. Just to be able to respond with a hell of a shot and make big free throws right after that, that's just who he is man. 

It's no secret that Garalnd has struggled since returning from his jaw injury. His outside shooting is specifically something that has looked off. Mitchell is hoping that this was the game that DG needed to get back to the player he's been since being drafted. 

"I'm glad that went down because I think he needed that. That's who he's been his whole career."