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SAN FRANCISCO — Tyronn Lue didn’t need Darius Garland’s first minutes with the Clippers to return within the shadow of Kawhi Leonard. That meant the uniform wasn’t the one factor new for the 26-year-old guard Monday evening in his Los Angeles debut.
Garland scored 12 factors in 23 minutes in a 114-101 win in opposition to the Warriors — off the bench.
It was Garland’s first time taking the court docket for the reason that Cavaliers despatched him to LA for James Harden, his first sport in any respect since Jan. 14, and the primary time since his sophomore season — 2020-21 — that the two-time All-Star’s identify wasn’t introduced among the many beginning lineups.
“It’s no matter. I wished to slot in so I didn’t wish to disrupt something or something that we had happening as a result of we had been on an excellent little run,” Garland mentioned of his response when Lue knowledgeable him he wouldn’t begin initially. “It was sort of bizarre at first, I advised him it felt bizarre at first. However after I received going slightly bit, it was cool.”
Garland checked in for the primary time with 4:48 left within the first quarter and didn’t get his first bucket till shortly earlier than halftime. The Warriors blitzed him and compelled three early turnovers.
“Steve Kerr at all times received one thing up underneath his sleeve,” Garland mentioned. “So most likely after the primary trey ball I made I used to be like OK, all proper, I believe I knocked the cobwebs off slightly bit.”
Garland’s well being is one cause why the Cavaliers had been snug buying and selling him away for one more guard 10 years his elder in Harden. He hadn’t performed since spraining his proper huge toe in opposition to the 76ers six weeks in the past and had surgical procedure on his different huge toe over the summer time.
Earlier than tipoff, Lue mentioned he wished to see Garland “discover his personal rhythm, his personal timing and simply attempt to run every part by him” with out Leonard. The Clippers had been at their greatest within the moments each had been on the ground.
Of their first possession collectively, Garland drove to the rim, drew contact, and received to the foul line. Not lengthy after, Golden State crashed the paint, and Garland kicked it out to Leonard for an open 3.
“From penetration, they pulled in, after which he was in a position to make the correct play,” Lue mentioned. “It’s gonna take a while to get our rotations, who performs nicely with who, however tonight was an excellent begin.”
Leonard, who led LA with 23 factors, mentioned the Clippers newcomer “seems very promising on the market.”
“He’s very energetic defensively when guarding a few of their facilities within the publish. I loved his complete efficiency tonight.”
As Garland received going, so did the Clippers. They erased a 17-point deficit earlier than halftime to say a convincing win over the group instantly forward of them within the Western Convention standings. The win closed the hole between LA and Golden State to 1.5 video games.
Whereas the Warriors proceed to battle attrition, Lue has a brand new toy to play with in LA.
“A man can push the tempo, can run pick-and-roll, can get to the place he desires to get to on the ground, can run numerous completely different choices the place he can come off pin-downs, he can come off pick-the-picker actions,” Lue mentioned. “We are able to simply use him numerous other ways.”
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