CLEVELAND, OH – Cavaliers’ rookies Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. had their coming out party at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Monday night.
The Cavs beat the Hawks 121-118, improving to 9-21 on the season.
They’ve won three straight games for the first time in the post-LeBron era.
The Garland-Porter duo scored the Cavaliers’ first 17 points of the fourth quarter. Cleveland went on a 19-5 run to begin the final quarter.
Garland finished with 21 points. Porter had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Ooowee, @dariusgarland22! #BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/cabTpKNWbb
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 24, 2019Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 25 points and six rebounds. He made 12-of-20 shots from the floor.
Atlanta rallied late in the fourth quarter to pull within three with 5.1 seconds remaining. Trae Young's despiration 3-pointer bounced off the front iron and the Cavs held on for the win.
Pregame Trade
The Cavs traded Jordan Clarkson to the Jazz for Dante Exum and two second-round picks just minutes before their game against the Hawks. A source confirmed the trade to 92.3 The Fan. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal.
Exum has dealt with his fair share of injuries since being drafted with the No. 5 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers hope to get the most out of the 24-year-old guard. At 6’6” tall, Exum brings much needed length to the Cavs’ backcourt. For more on the trade, go here.
Up Next
The Cavaliers play the Celtics in Boston on Friday night.
