The Cleveland Cavaliers finally got a chance to see what their backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell could do for a full game. The results were very impressive.
They combined 54 points and 18 assists in a 114-113 overtime win over Boston, extending the team’s winning streak to six games. Cleveland will now embark on a five-game road trip, with a stop in Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday before heading to the West Coast.
Garland suffered an eye injury in the season opener and didn’t play again until Wednesday. He finished with 29 points and 12 assists in 42 minutes.
Garland was thrilled just to get back in action after recovering from an injury that he thought would require surgery.
Acquired in a blockbuster trade with Utah, Mitchell is averaging 31.1 points and 7.1 assists.
Cleveland still had to sweat out 53 minutes to collect its latest win. Boston’s Jaylen Brown missed a potential game-winning jumper in the closing seconds of overtime.
The Pistons have lost seven of their last eight games. They won their last home game against Golden State, then fell to Milwaukee twice in three nights.
Detroit gave the unbeaten Bucks a tough challenge on Monday, losing 110-108. The rematch was a much different story, as the Pistons trailed by double digits virtually the entire second half in a 116-91 defeat.
The Bucks scored 24 second-chance points with a majority coming in the first half.
Turnovers also played a major role, as Milwaukee scored 28 points off 21 Pistons giveaways. Bojan Bogdanovic committed one third of those turnovers.
Franchise player Cade Cunningham was limited to 10 points and four assists. He had averaged 27.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists the previous four games, including a 27-point, six-rebound, seven-assist performance on Monday.
Cunningham had great success coming off screens for mid-range jumpers around the elbow during his hot streak. The Bucks made it more difficult for him to find his sweet spot.
