CLEVELAND — For the first time in his career, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the NBA announced on Monday.
Garland has been fantastic as of late for the Cavaliers, averaging 20.5 points, 12.8 assists, and six rebounds per game during the last week. Those numbers come across a four-game stretch, in which the Cavs were undefeated, capping off a road trip against six Western Conference teams with a 5-1 record. Garland’s week included three double-doubles, including his first career triple-double in a win over the Utah Jazz.
Garland’s hot streak extends further back than just the last week, as he’s averaged 20.6 points, 10.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds since he returned from the NBA’s health and safety protocols that caused him to miss four games. His recent play has done quite a bit to boost his All-Star resume.
Garland’s player of the week honor is the 64th time a member of the Cavs has been awarded it, and the second time this season, joining center Jarrett Allen in the third week of the season.
The Cavaliers ended their west coast road trip with a record of 26-14 on the season. The team enters play on Monday against the Brooklyn Nets with a record of 22-8 when Garland, Allen, and rookie big man Evan Mobley are all in the lineup.
Garland’s play not only has led to recognition by the league, but also has helped the Cavs to be sitting firmly in the playoff picture. Entering play Monday, the Cavaliers were in sixth-place in the Eastern Conference, however they are sitting just 2.5 games behind the first-place Chicago Bulls.
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