Garland's Sizzling Second Half Steers Cavaliers To Win Over Raptors

Cleveland's Darius Garland scored 25 points in the second half of the Cavaliers' 132-126 victory over Toronto on Thursday night.

Jan 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket beside Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

One night after defeating the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the most hyped NBA regular-season games in recent memory, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued their four-game homestand against the Toronto Raptors.

On the second night of a back-to-back, Cleveland's seventh of the season, the Wine and Gold were without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell (rest) on Thursday night.

However, the Cleveland's other potential All-Star guard made up for this absence with one of his most prolific performances of the season.

Darius Garland scored 25 of his season-high 40 points in the second half, as the Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 132-126 to extend their winning streak to 12 games. He shot 9-for-12 (75%) from the field, 3-for-4 (75%) from three-point range, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the game's final 24 minutes.

After the two teams were tied 61-61 at halftime, Toronto outscored Cleveland 42-37 in the third quarter. But the Wine and Gold responded in the final period, outscoring the opposition by 11 points to come away with a five-point victory.

Jan 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket beside Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Garland played the entire fourth quarter, recording game-highs of 14 points and three assists (tied) in the period. Overall, the 24-year-old dished out a game-high nine assists, while shooting 14-for-22 (63.6%) from the field, 4-for-7 (57.1%) from deep, and 8-for-9 (88.9%) from the free throw line.

Additionally, a night after their historic performance versus the Thunder, the Cavaliers' star big man duo turned in another pair of strong games. Evan Mobley tallied 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and a steal, and Jarrett Allen totaled 18 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, three assists, a game-high two blocks, and a steal.

Up next, Cleveland will conclude its four-game homestand against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m.