Darius Garland had a night for the record books in the Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. He finished the game with 41 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds on over 50 percent field goal shooting, over 40 percent three-point shooting, and 100 percent free throw shooting. Garland's performance places him in elite territory, as the only other players to post 50/40/100 shooting and over 41 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in a single game are LeBron James and Chris Paul.
Garland has been excellent all season long and is one of the main reasons why Cleveland has remained competitive despite the early-year injury to Collin Sexton.
The Cavs, who were without star big man Jarrett Allen due to injury, narrowly escaped with a 127-124 victory against the Pacers in the game. But there is no question that it may have been a very different result had Garland not performed as well as he did. His 41 points and incredibly efficient shooting stand out, but his ability to distribute the basketball led to plenty of scoring opportunities for his teammates as well. As a result of Garland's sharp passing, Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen both finished the game with over 20 points.
The win was crucial for Cleveland since they have labored as of late. The Cavs have fallen to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and are just 4-6 over their past ten games. But perhaps this dramatic win can jumpstart a winning streak for the Cavaliers. Cleveland will certainly be just fine moving forward if Garland continues producing at an elite level.