CLEVELAND — Darius Garland heard the message loud and clear.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers' point guard struggled to make an impact at various points during Saturday's Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, it seemed like everywhere the 23-year-old turned, people were telling him the same thing.
«Everybody in the building told me to go be aggressive,» Garland said after scoring 32 points and leading the Cavs to a 107-90 Game 2 victory Tuesday night. «Go shoot the ball. So I watched the film from the first game and seeing some opportunities where I can go get mine and go be aggressive, and that's what I just tried to do today.»
Garland, who did not attempt a shot in Saturday's fourth quarter, got rolling early in Game 2, pouring in 26 points in the first half. He became just the third Cav in franchise history to score at least 26 points in a half, joining LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell was one of many teammates and coaches to offer Garland some encouraging words over the past few days. The veteran All-Star believed the young playmaker, who also chipped in with seven assists Tuesday, just needed to get that first playoff game under his belt.
«That's the All-Star we all know, and it was great to see,» Mitchell said. «And I told him at the end of the day, that's what we're going to need, continue to be aggressive.»
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was happy to see his young team respond to the challenge. As much as Garland's performance pleased the coach, he was quick to point out how important Mitchell's ability to ride the hot hand of his young teammate was for the group.
«What he did tonight is make sure that everybody had belief,» Bickerstaff said of
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