Final Score: Cavs defeat Pelicans 116-95
The Cavs bounce backed in a big way.
Donovan Mitchell made his triumphant return to the lineup as the Cleveland Cavaliers stomped the New Orleans Pelicans 116-95. Let’s recap what happened.
Nightly Notables:
Will the real Darius Garland please stand up? It has been a year full of ups and downs for Garland. And while I’m hesitant to officially say “we are so back,” tonight was possibly his best performance of the season.
Garland put together a masterpiece, scoring 27 points, dishing 11 assists, grabbing 6 rebounds and only turning over the ball once. He shot 10-16 from the floor, including 6-10 from deep. There was no over-dribbling or stagnation — just pure, efficient dominance from Cleveland’s floor general.
Sam Merrill was also electric. Previously in a brutal shooting slump, Merrill has been distributing the ball to remain effective. He dished 5 assists on Monday and dealt out a career-high 9 assists tonight. More importantly, he finally got the lid off the rim, drilling 5-10 three-point attempts.
Well, that happened...
What’s better than one Cavalanche? How about two?
— Carter Rodriguez (@Carter_Shade) March 14, 2024
The Cavaliers went on a 14-0 run early in the first half to put New Orleans in a hole. But while the Pelicans managed to survive the initial onslaught — a second Cavalanche in the third quarter put them away for good.
Big Picture
Sometimes, success in the NBA comes down to good luck and precise timing. While the Cavs’ season has teetered over the edge due to countless injuries, the storm may clear at just the right time.
Mitchell is back in the fold. Evan Mobley and Max Strus will be back soon enough. And with Garland continuing to get his groove back, the pieces to the puzzle might come together after all.
The Cavs have 16 games remaining before the playoffs. One clean swoop of good health and timely contributions is all they can ask for down the stretch.