Darius Garland scored 40 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their 12th straight NBA game against the Toronto Raptors.
The point guard’s starring display on 14-of-22 shooting ensured the Cavs avoided an upset in a 132-126 win, having trailed by 12 points in the third quarter.
“He carried us,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland’s performance. “This is the first game all year where I felt like one guy carried us.
“We weren’t good but he single-handedly took over this game.
“I respect the league but he’s got to be in that top, All-Star tier. He’s phenomenal. He completely took over the game and carried us.”
Eastern Conference’s leaders recovered to extend their winning run to 12 games, with the Raptors dealth their fourth loss in a row.
Cleveland’s Evan Mobley scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in addition to grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists, with Jarrett Allen chipped in 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds. Caris LeVert also had 18 points.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 24 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, with Chris Boucher following with 23 points off the bench.
MAMA THERE GO THAT MAN. @dariusgarland22 | #LetEmKnow https://t.co/EBDviT9cLV pic.twitter.com/iL2h848Jlp
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 10, 2025
Elsewhere in the NBA, the injury-hit Dallas Mavericks produced a late fourth quarter escape to grab a 117-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Dallas.
Julius Randle hit 23 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 104-89 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Golden State Warriors dug out a narrow 107-104 win over the Detroit Pistons despite Steph Curry’s uncharacteristically wayward shooting performance.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers postponed their game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Crypto.com Arena due to the raging wildfires which have gripped the city.
