NBA Top Five Performances, Feb. 2: Darius Garland Took Over in the Absence of Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell was ejected against the Memphis Grizzlies.

TOP PLAYER OF THE DAY:

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell got into an altercation Thursday with Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks. 

The scuffle resulted in ejections for both but Darius Garland made up for Mitchell’s absence in the Cavs' blowout win. Garland had 32 points and 11 assists, including 11 points in the quarter Mitchell left the game.

“Darius was brilliant,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He knew how important this game was to us and what we needed from him. That’s what leaders do.”

After the game, Mitchell expressed his opinion on Brooks’ player antics.

“That’s just who he is,” Mitchell said. “We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our battles for years, frankly I’ve been busting his a** for years. There’s no place for that in the game. You all see it, this isn’t new.”

"Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I've been busting his ass for years."

Donovan Mitchell on Dillon Brooks

(via @cwmwrites)pic.twitter.com/pnDvLaROnJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 3, 2023

OTHERS:

- Anthony Davis’ double-double led the Lakers to victory against the Indiana Pacers. Davis finished the night with 31 points and 14 rebounds, including the winning shot and clutch block against Tyrese Haliburton.

- The Nuggets crushed the Golden State Warriors behind a 33-point performance by Jamal Murray.

- Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu tied his season-high in scoring with a 22-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. Dosunmu stepped up in the wake of subpar performances from the star duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

- Giannis Antetokounmpo had 54 points to fuel the Bucks’ comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers. Antetokounmpo accounted for 51 percent of the Bucks’ total points.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.