Cleveland Reporter

Anyone wondering how Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland earned a spot in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game in his hometown can look to the team’s 105-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 9 as an example.

Garland returned from a back injury to power Cleveland with a 27-point effort, according to NBA.com.

The website added that Garland, a first-time All-Star, enjoyed a superb shooting night, going 12-for-15 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 behind the three-point arc.

The victory was Cleveland’s seventh straight win in what would turn out to be an impressive eight-game streak, from which Garland was mostly absent.

“It's our responsibility as coaches to make sure that we continue to do the small things that will end up preparing us for the larger moments,” head coach J. B. Bickerstaff said, according to ESPN.

Cleveland received a decent 11-point effort from the then-newly-acquired Caris LeVert, who joined the Cavaliers via trade from division rival Indiana.

Coming off the bench, LeVert, who hails from Columbus, Ohio, endured a poor 4-for-11 shooting night to lead the second unit in scoring.

NBA.com reported that Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell each scored 18 points for the Spurs.

The Cavaliers then went on the road to Indiana on Feb. 11 to reel off a come-from-behind win over the Pacers.

LeVert scorched his former team with 22 points to help his new one erase a 21-point deficit and notch the eighth and final win of the streak.

Yahoo reported that Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, during a press conference the morning of the game, neglected to mention LeVert’s name among the cadre of ex-Pacers he shipped away at the NBA trade deadline, raising speculation that the purported flub served as fuel for LeVert.

As of this writing, the Cavaliers were looking to bounce back in Atlanta against the Hawks from their 103-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, who sit behind Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings and have just sent disgruntled star Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for former NBA MVP James Harden.