The Wine & Gold team continues to make their case for the championship. Following the thrilling win over the OKC Thunder, the Cleveland Cavaliers stepped on the floor again tonight and produced yet another thriller. The tired legs of the Cavs’ fold not only managed to withstand the Toronto Raptors‘ fiery offense, but also etched their names in history. Thanks to Darius Garland. The guard’s 40-point night saved the streak, and Coach Kenny Atkinson couldn’t shut up about it.

Firstly, Atkinson repeatedly said something, and that was, “He (Garland) carried us.” Following that, the coach made a bold confession, saying, “This is the first game all year I felt like one guy carried us. He carried us. We weren’t good, you know, but he single-handedly took over this game.” 

It was indeed a tough battle for the table toppers. Usually, we don’t see the Cavs head to the last quarter with a deficit. However, tonight, it wasn’t the case. The Raptors made a massive 42-run in the third quarter and entered the last quarter with a 5-point lead. After multiple lead changes in the last quarter, Darius Garland’s 14-point effort helped the team achieve a 126-132 win. Especially in the absence of Donovan Mitchell, whom the team ruled out citing rest, DG really carried the team throughout the game.

Not only that, but it also helped the team make a historical run. After the win against the Thunder, the Cavs held a 32-4 record that matched the Warriors’ record after 36 games during their 73-9 run in the 2015-16 season. Tonight, the team extended their streak to 12 wins in a row and held a 33-4 record, making it only the 7th team in the history of the league to start the season in this fashion.

Amid praises, Coach Atkinson makes a strong All-Star case for Darius Garland

After repeatedly saying that Garland carried the team tonight, Coach Atkinson made an emotional plea at the pressers. With All-Star voting already in full swing, true ball lovers are surprised to not find any players from the Cavs except for Donovan Mitchell. The power-packed players like Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley didn’t make it to the cut.

Addressing the sad reality, Atkinson said, “If he (Garland) is not an All-Star, I don’t know what an All-Star looks like.” Following that, the coach even tried to convince the crowd, stating the various strengths of the guard. He added, “I don’t know if it clutch numbers… He makes big plays for us at the end of the game, been incredible on the clutch, shooting the ball great, playing good defense, just I don’t know. I look around the league, I respect the league but I don’t know who is… He got to be in the top tier, all-star tier.”

So, what’s really happening? Why isn’t Garland getting the love and respect from the fans that he truly deserves? Notably, Garland himself addressed it recently, saying, “Don’t know why. Wish I knew the answer to that. The group that we have, the style of basketball we play, we’re exciting … you’d think we’d be getting (more love nationally).”

 What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.