By james art 
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
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 erase a 13-point deficit in the second half time.
Speaking to reporters after the win, Donovan Mitchell praised Garland for the way he started this season after a tough 2023-24 campaign:
“I’m happy for him because he went through a lot of BS last year. You have to learn from it and you have to grow. Sometimes it’s going to be nasty and I think he felt it. This is a sample of four games but I have no doubt that he will be one for us this season can fit together.
Garland finished the game with 34 points, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. His second block helped seal the win when he blocked Jalen Brunson’s layup with 1:17 left and Cleveland leading 103-98.
Garland’s main concern last season was a fractured jaw suffered in a Dec. 14 loss to the Boston Celtics that sidelined him for more than six weeks. He said that just being able to eat food with a straw made him lose 12 kilograms.
Garland finished with his worst season in efficiency since his rookie year in 2019-20. He shot 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range in 57 starts.
With the Cavs going 15-4 in the 19 games Garland missed with the jaw injury and the team once again struggling in the playoffs, there were questions about whether or not they would look to trade him.
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fisher reported during the offseason that the San Antonio Spurs tried to trade Garland, but Cleveland rejected any interest in the 24-year-old.
This has proven to be a smart move for the Cavs so far. 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. It’s the first time they’ve 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.