CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs cruised to a 120-109 victory over a depleted Indiana Pacers team Friday night, but the real story wasn’t the win itself. It was the reaffirmation of something the Wine and Gold Talk Podcast hosts have been saying all season: Darius Garland is an incomparable engine that powers everything.
“When Darius Garland is healthy, this offense functions in a different kind of way,” said cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor on the latest episode. “Evan Mobley is more comfortable. The offense itself is more comfortable. Donovan Mitchell is able to play off the ball a little bit more. The engine to the Cavs offense is Darius. And their ceiling is just very, very different when he plays.”
The evidence was clear on the court as Garland orchestrated an offense that generated 28 assists on 43 made field goals. His ability to penetrate, draw defenders, and make split-second decisions transformed a Cavaliers team that has looked disjointed at times without him this season.
What’s particularly remarkable about Garland’s impact is how it cascades through the entire roster. When he’s running the show, everyone benefits. Mobley, who has struggled to find consistency this season, looked notably more comfortable with Garland back in the lineup, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
“The Cavs didn’t even have Jarrett Allen tonight. They didn’t even have Sam Merrill tonight against Indy. But they felt more like the Cavs. They felt like a more complete version of who this basketball team is and who this basketball team is supposed to be. And to me, that’s more about Darius than anybody else,” Fedor explained on the podcast.
What makes this story even more compelling is that Garland is clearly still not 100% healthy.
The podcast revealed a behind-the-scenes moment where Garland had “an extended conversation in the locker room tonight with head trainer Steve Spiro” about his toe injury. Fedor noted you could “sense a little bit of annoyance from Darius that he is still kind of being bothered and he kept pointing down at his feet.”
The toe injury that has limited Garland to just four appearances in the Cavs’ first 17 games clearly remains an issue. This raises serious questions about how the team will handle the upcoming back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.
Will they risk playing their floor general in both contests, knowing how vital he is to their success but also how important his long-term health will be?
The Garland-Lonzo Ball pairing also shows tremendous promise, with both players expressing excitement about sharing the court.
“You could just sense in talking to Darius following the game that he was excited about that potential pairing,” Fedor said on the podcast.
The combination gives Cleveland elite playmaking and basketball IQ, creating a dynamic that could become increasingly dangerous as they build chemistry.
For Cavaliers fans, the message is clear: Darius Garland’s health may be the single most important factor in determining just how far this squad can go.
To hear the full breakdown of Garland’s impact and what it means for the Cavaliers moving forward, don’t miss the latest Wine and Gold Talk Podcast—it’s essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the true engine behind Cleveland’s championship aspirations.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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