One season after undergoing jaw surgery, Brentwood Academy alum Darius Garland has his Cleveland Cavaliers on the verge of clinching the top seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
With seven games left in their season, the Cavaliers hold a four-game edge on the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, meaning Cleveland’s magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed is four.
kAmqFE v2C=2?5[ 2 D:I\J62C }qp G6E H9@ A=2J65 3C:67=J 2D 2 7C6D9>2? 2E '2?56C3:=E 367@C6 2? :?;FCJ 6?565 9:D D62D@?[ 92D 9:D 8@2=D D6E 2 =:EE=6 9:896C]k^Am
kAm“&?E:= H6 92G6 E9:D A2C256 :? r=6G6=2?5[ ,2?5 x’>. @? E96 7=@2ED 2?5 ,92G6. 2 C:?8 @? >J 7:?86C[” v2C=2?5 D2:5 :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D=2>@?=:?6]4@>^E96\>282K:?6^D=2>\add^52C:FD\82C=2?5\5@?@G2?\>:E496==\4@G6C\DE@CJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mE96 4FCC6?E 65:E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^2m @7 k6>m$=2>k^6>m >282K:?6[ “H6 92G6?’E 5@?6 2?JE9:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 ad\J62C\@=5 v2C=2?5[ 2 E9C66\E:>6 %6??6DD66 |C] q2D<6E32== H:??6C H96? 96 A=2J65 2E qC6?EH@@5 p4256>J[ :D :? E96 >:5DE @7 @?6 @7 9:D 36DE D62D@?D] w6 :D 2G6C28:?8 a_]e A@:?ED[ e]f 2DD:DED 2?5 a]h C63@F?5D A6C 82>6 7@C E96 r2GD[ H9@ 92G6 2=C625J H@? e_ 82>6D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96 a__h\`_ D62D@?]k^Am
kAmv2C=2?5’D AC6G:@FD D62D@? H2D :?E6CCFAE65 :? s646>36C a_ab[ H96? 96 DF776C65 2 7C24EFC65 ;2H 27E6C 4@==:5:?8 H:E9 q@DE@?’D zC:DE2AD !@CK:?8:D[ 2? :?;FCJ E92E H@F=5 =625 E@ DFC86CJ] %96 e\`[ `ha\A@F?5 v2C=2?5 925 9:D ;2H H:C65 D9FE 27E6CH2C5[ 2?5 H@F?5 FA =@D:?8 `a A@F?5D @? 2 =:BF:5 5:6E E92E D:56=:?65 9:> 7@C `h 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“x H2D 2H2J 7C@> E96 8FJD =2DE J62C 7@C 2=>@DE EH@ >@?E9D[ 2?5 E92E’D H96? x H2D C62==J 2E >J =@H6DE[” v2C=2?5 D2:5] “x 4@F=5?’E E2=< E@ E96>] %96J’5 u246%:>6 >6 27E6C 2 3:8 H:?[ 2?5 x’> ;FDE D:EE:?8 E96C6[ =:<6[ 1*2J[ 42?’E E2=<]’ %92E H2D E@F89 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAmv2C=2?5[ E96 7:7E9 @G6C2== A:4< @7 E96 a_`h }qp sC27E[ DE:== 96=A65 r=6G6=2?5 E@ 2 cg\bc >2C< =2DE D62D@?[ H96? E96 r2G2=:6CD C624965 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D 367@C6 72==:?8 :? 7:G6 82>6D E@ E96 r6=E:4D]k^Am
kAmqFE 27E6C 2 7F== @77D62D@? @7 C6923:=:E2E:@? E@ 96=A 3F:=5 324< 9:D DEC6?8E9[ v2C=2?5 76=E 6G6? 36EE6C 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 a_ac\ad D62D@?]k^Am
kAmQyFDE 92G:?8 E92E 4@?7:56?46[” k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3624@?;@FC?2=]4@>^DE@CJ^DA@CED^AC@^42GD^a_ad^_`^b`^4=6G6=2?5\42G2=:6CD\8F2C5\52C:FD\82C=2?5\?2>65\2==\DE2C\C6D6CG6\?32\5@?@G2?\>:E496==\DE2ED\>@3=6J^fg_eb``h__f^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mv2C=2?5 E@=5 C6A@CE6CDk^DEC@?8mk^2m :? y2?F2CJ] “w2G:?8 =2DE DF>>6C ;FDE E@ 24EF2==J H@C< @? >J 3@5J[ 86E 324< :? E96 8J>[ 86E 324< :? E96 H6:89E C@@> 2 =@E >@C6[ 92G6 2 4@>A=6E6 DF>>6C H96C6 x 4@F=5 ;FDE C62==J H@C<]”k^Am
kAmv2C=2?5’D H@C< H2D C64@8?:K65 62C=:6C E9:D D62D@?[ H96? E96 x?5:2?2 ?2E:G6 H2D D6=64E65 2D 2? }qp p==\$E2C 7@C E96 D64@?5 E:>6 :? 9:D 42C66C[ E96 7:CDE D:?46 E96 a_a`\aa D62D@?]k^Am
kAmp=@?8 H:E9 76==@H 8F2C5 s@?@G2? |:E496== Wac AED] A6C 82>6X[ v2C=2?5 =625D 2 r2G2=:6CD @776?D6 E92E 762EFC6D D6G6? 5@F3=6\7:8FC6 D4@C6CD] r=6G6=2?5 C2?<D 7:CDE :? E96 }qp :? D4@C:?8 W`aa]b AED] A6C 82>6X[ D64@?5 :? 7:6=5 8@2= A6C46?E286 Wch]a A6C46?EX[ E9:C5 :? E62> A@:?E 5:776C6?E:2= WZ`_]_X 2?5 7:CDE :? E9C66\A@:?E 7:6=5 8@2= A6C46?E286 Wbg]c A6C46?EX]k^Am
kAmv2C=2?5 :D D9@@E:?8 2 42C66C 9:89 cf]` A6C46?E 7C@> E96 7:6=5[ 2?5 9:D 67764E:G6 7:6=5 8@2= A6C46?E286 — 2 DE2E E92E 25;FDED 7@C E96 724E 2 E9C66\A@:?E 7:6=5 8@2= :D H@CE9 >@C6 E92? 2 EH@\A@:?E 7:6=5 8@2= — :D 2E 2 42C66C 36DE de]a A6C46?E]k^Am
kAm%96 BF6DE:@? ?@H 7@C v2C=2?5 2?5 E96 r2GDi r2? E96J 56E9C@?6 E96 r6=E:4Dnk^Am
kAmr=6G6=2?5 >:89E 92G6 D6?E 2 >6DD286 u63] ag :? q@DE@?[ H96? E96 r2GD C2==:65 7C@> 2 ad\b 567:4:E :? E96 62C=J 8@:?8 E@ 4=2:> 2 `ab\``e H:? @G6C E96 r6=E:4D[ 62C?:?8 2 DA=:E @7 E96 7@FC 82>6D :? E96 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 :? EC@F3=6[” k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^2E9=6E:4^e`efd_h^a_ad^_a^ag^42G2=:6CD\46=E:4D\>2E49FA\C6DF=ED\2?2=JD:D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mD2:5 v2C=2?5k^DEC@?8mk^2m[ H9@ D4@C65 a_ A@:?ED] “qFE E9:D E62> :D C62==J 8@@5[ 2?5 H6 925 2 492?46 E@ 4@>6 324<] pD =@?8 2D H6 8@E :E H:E9:? `_[ H6 925 2 C62==J 8@@5 492?46[ 2?5 E92E’D H92E 92AA6?65]”k^Am
