The regular season is wrapped, the play-ins sorted, but when some teams look to have lost the momentum, like the Bucks, the East’s number one seed didn’t have much trouble in the maiden game of their first-round matchup. Led by a Donovan Mitchell surge, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead against the Miami Heat, who showed some promise in the play-ins. They didn’t start the game off with great vigor. For three quarters, the Cavaliers found it tough, leading by just 8 points until then. Neither Mitchell nor Darius Garland found their shot in the first half. But the change didn’t take much time to occur as the Cavs cooled Miami’s heat to 121-100.

The backcourt duo combined for 30 points in the second half, 15 each, missing just three shots in between them. Spida led from the front, scoring a game-high 30 points. But he had to fight his own battle before finding some success. Still, he was able to be productive as a leader. And for Mitchell, that doesn’t come from being vocal or going to the chalkboard and drawing up plays.

“He leads by example. Whatever we ask him to do you know he’ll do. If we ask him to box someone on somebody he’ll do it. He never never shies from when we ask him to do the the dirty work,” an impressed Kenny Atkinson said about the Cavs’ cornerstone.

Defensive grit is what primarily won the game for the Cavaliers. And as much criticism as Mitchell had drawn for his defense, tonight that wasn’t the case. He generated four steals in a game where the Heat committed 14 turnovers, twice that of the Cavaliers. As for his offense, his versatility proved too hot for Miami.

“He was 0 for five to start from three and I thought he started driving the ball getting in the paint playing off two you know using his unit using his strength. But second half he hit two huge threes for us you know and and um it’s tough. That’s why he’s a great player. He can do both,” Atkinson described.

The “complete” display of attacking allowed Donovan Mitchell to create momentum as the game progressed. Likewise, defenses are unsettled when he mixes things up. And in the postseason, which can be unpredictable, having multiple pivots is the reason Mitchell has been a successful performer.

Darius Garland is breaking stereotypes

As critical as Mitchell was tonight, the Cavaliers produced an amazing team performance to start their playoff journey in the right manner. Notably, Darius Garland also proved to be instrumental in their win. Unlike Mitchell, though, he recovered his offensive struggles by finding his range. Garland nailed five triples in the lopsided win.

But Atkinson saw something far more significant that enabled the Cavs to win. With the playoff heat on their backs, Garland decided to compete on both sides of the floor. Despite his reputation as a poor defender, Garland was a +16 on the box score tonight, whereas his buddy, Mitchell, for the night, had +10. However, while the head coach did applaud his efforts, he is also aware of the dangers that could hinder the Cavaliers if Garland does disengage defensively.

“I love how he competed defensively. That’s one thing about Darius like you know I know teams try to pick on him right and that you know they bring him into pick and roll. But I thought tonight whether he got on a switch or had to fight Bam in the post he really guarded tonight. That was that was a big key for us,” the Coach of The Year noted.

Against a physical and unrelenting team such as the Heat, it’s important for the Cavs to hold their defensive structure. The two pillars, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, supply them with internal protection. But in order to stop the likes of quirky guards like Herro and Davion Mitchell, Garland is required to stay active.

Even though it’s one game, his effort sent a clear message. The Cavaliers are finding another gear for the postseason. And even if he manages to make life a little tough for opponents, he has skillful teammates who can cover him. For now, Kenny Atkinson is seeing his zeal. He can only hope that Darius Garland remains consistent with this practice.