Darius Garland wasn’t on his A-game. But it didn’t matter much for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In Garland’s season debut after missing seven games, Cleveland cruised to a 132-121 win over over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night. The 132 points marked a season high for the Cavaliers as their starting point guard returned to the lineup.
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Donovan Mitchell was the biggest beneficiary of Garland’s presence on the court. With Garland on the ball, Mitchell matched the second-highest scoring output of his career with 46 points while shooting 15 of 21 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3.
Cleveland cruised to an efficient 53.3% success rate from the field and met little resistance from a Philadelphia defense playing without Joel Embiid.
Garland struggled with his shot, shooting 3 of 11 from the field and 2 of 7 from three while limited to 26 minutes of playing time. He finished with 8 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 turnovers.
But Cleveland’s offense hummed with Garland running point as it raced out to a 41-27 first quarter lead as Mitchell thrived in an off-ball role. The 76ers cut their deficit to 70-67 at halftime, but the Cavaliers controlled the second half en route to the 11-point win.
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Garland’s first game since May
The Cavaliers activated their All-Star point guard ahead of Wednesday’s game
He hadn’t played since undergoing surgery in June to repair a toe injury that limited him in the playoffs. Garland missed Games 3 and 4 of a first-round sweep of the Heat, then missed two more games in Cleveland’s 4-1 loss to the Pacers in the second round.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, left, defends against Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Garland spent the offseason recovering and rehabbing the injury after surgery and had been ramping up during the regular season for his return to the court. He spent a short stint with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate and has since been working out with his teammates and participating in pregame warmups.
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Garland made his second career All-Star game in 2024-25. For the season, he averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 40.1% from 3. He and fellow All-Star Mitchell make up one of the league’s most prolific scoring backcourts.
The Cavaliers improved to 5-3 start without Wednesday’s win. They’re banking on Garland, Mitchell and Evan Mobley to lead them to an Eastern Conference title after last season produced the East’s best record at 64-18.