Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland indicated that Sunday’s disappointing defeat to the Detroit Pistons may end up serving as a wake-up call for the Cavs.
Garland spoke after the Cavaliers’ 115-105 loss, a contest in which the Cavs were outscored 31-17 during the final quarter. He explained that “everybody was silent in the locker room” after the loss.
“Everybody was silent in the locker room,” Garland said. “I hope everybody woke up, everybody lit something under their butt. I know there’s more games but that was unacceptable tonight.”
One of the reasons the loss was a source of frustration was the fact that the Cavaliers looked ready to dominate from the outset. They scored the first 15 points of the game and appeared to be on their way to their fourth straight win.
Instead, the Pistons battled back and eventually took control of the contest. One of Detroit’s keys to the win was the performance of rookie Cade Cunningham, who posted a triple-double.
As for Garland, he is only in his third NBA season, but he has made great strides this season. Even though he just turned 22, he’s already become one of the Cavs’ leaders as his game continues to improve.
Cleveland’s setback on Sunday dulled the momentum the Cavaliers had been building. Prior to the loss, the Cavs had won eight of their nine previous games.
Garland is surely hoping that his squad will put the loss in the rearview mirror and move on. The team doesn’t have much time to dwell on the defeat.
That’s because the Cavaliers are set to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. At 30-20 on the season, the Cavaliers are still in prime position to reach the playoffs.
