The Hall of Fame forward and Boston Celtics champion had a realization after watching the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers had a historical start to the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season. They won 15 straight games. The entire basketball world was tuned in as they traveled to Boston to take on the reigning champions for a battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics were, in fact, the team to take down the Cavaliers. Still, a 15-game win streak to begin the season proved the Cavaliers are title contenders.
Former Celtics champion and Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett was tuned into the game, and he had a revelation about Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland.
Garland shot 3-of-21 in the contest. He had just eight points to accompany his seven assists. It wasn’t just a poor shooting game from the Cavalier guard, though. The Celtics’ defense is elite. They are suffocating, led by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White — two incredible perimeter defenders.
According to Garnett, the Celtics were able to win the game because they took Garland out of the game. They made him uncomfortable, and he looked “indecisive,” as he stated on the “Ticket & The Truth” show.
“They had Garland under control at all times. He looked indecisive,” Garnett said. “This is the first time I’ve seen him like this. And it’s that two-guard front.”
En route to a 16-1 record, Garland has only failed to score in double figures on just one occasion, that being in the loss to the Celtics. Of course, it came in NBA Cup group play, where the Atlanta Hawks are actually leading their group with a 2-0 record.
On the season, Garland is averaging 20.6 points and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 43% on 3-pointers. He’s certainly having a solid season outside of the blunder in Boston.
It’s no shock the Celtics were the team to defeat the Cavaliers for the first time this season. The two teams are atop the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is the No. 1 seed with a 16-1 record, with Boston being the No. 2 seed with a 12-3 record.
The Cavaliers have a three-game lead on the Celtics, with Boston having a three-game lead on anyone else in the Eastern Conference. They certainly seem to be the two teams to beat in the conference, and Paul Pierce made the same point on the show.
“That’s the two teams in the East,” Pierce claimed. “I’m looking at everyone else. New York is still trying to get it together. I don’t know who Milwaukee is. Philly is looking like they are ready to implode. And everyone else, Indiana hasn’t been consistent, Orlando is dealing with injuries. Miami, they got trade rumors with Jimmy.”
The Eastern Conference has been weaker compared to the Western Conference this season, making it that much more likely that the two aforementioned teams handily take the top of the conference. They seem to be the only two grounded teams ready to make a real run, should the playoffs begin today.
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