Donovan Mitchell celebrates Darius Garland: “He went through a lot of bullshit last year” | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The mood couldn't be better for the Cleveland Cavaliers after Monday's 110-104 win over the New York Knicks, in which Darius Garland scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to help overcome a 13-point deficit in the second to equalize at half time.

Donovan Mitchell spoke to reporters after the win and praised Garland for his start to this season after a difficult 2023-24 campaign:

“I'm happy for him because he went through a lot of nonsense last year. You have to learn and grow from it. Sometimes things get shitty, and I think he sensed that. It's a four-game example.” But I have no doubt who he'll be able to be for us when he was an All-Star. You see it.”

Garland finished the game with 34 points, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. His second block helped seal the win as he stopped a Jalen Brunson layup with 1:17 left and gave Cleveland a 103-98 lead.

The main problem for Garland last season was a broken jaw he suffered in the Dec. 14 loss to the Boston Celtics, which sidelined him for more than six weeks. He said he lost 12 pounds because he could only eat his meals through a straw.

Garland ended up having his worst season since his rookie year in 2019-20 due to lack of efficiency. In 57 starts, he shot 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range.

With the Cavs going 15-4 in the 19 games Garland missed due to the jaw injury and the team once again struggling in the playoffs, there were questions about whether or not they would try to trade him.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fisher reported during the offseason that the San Antonio Spurs attempted to trade Garland, but Cleveland dismissed any interest in the 24-year-old.

So far, it has proven to be a smart move for the Cavs. Garland is averaging 19.3 points on 54.7 percent shooting (50.0 percent from three), 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in four starts this season.

First-year head coach Kenny Atkinson has the Cavaliers ranked in the top four in both offensive and defensive rating. This is the first time they have started a season 4-0 since 2016-17, when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Cavs will look to improve their record to 5-0 on Wednesday when they welcome LeBron James back to Cleveland for a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.