Garland paces Cavaliers past Knicks
Darius Garland scored 32 points, 26 while setting an aggressive tone for Cleveland in the first half, and the Cavaliers evened their Eastern Conference playoff series against visiting New York at one game apiece with a 107-90 victory Tuesday night.
Garland scored 15 points in the second quarter, when Cleveland tightened down defensively and dominated New York, forcing nine turnovers on the way to opening a 20-point halftime lead. The Cavs pushed their lead to 29 in the fourth.
Cleveland’s blowout ended with a hard foul.
New York was still down 23 and playing its starters when Julius Randle was hit in the air by Cavs center Jarrett Allen ona dunk with 2:22 left. Randle fell hard to the floor, and after getting up, exchanged words with several Cavs players and coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Caris LeVert scored 24 points off the bench and Donovan Mitchell added 17 and a career playoff-high 13 assists for the Cavs, who were much more physical than in Game 1 and went toe to toe with the Knicks.
Randle scored 22 points and Jalen Brunson added 20 for New York, which got the split it needed in rowdy Rocket Mortgage Field-House to head home for Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
Herro to have surgery
Heat guard Tyler Herro said he will undergo surgery Friday for his broken right hand and likely won’t return this postseason unless his team wins the Eastern Conference title.
Herro said Tuesday the injury requires 4-6 weeks of recovery. The conference finals start in mid-May and Game 1 of the NBA Finals is June 1.
Herro said the extent of his rehabilitation likely meant he could return closer to the NBA Finals rather than the conference finals.
Green suspended
Golden State forward Draymond Green has been suspended for one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis and will miss Game 3 of the Warriors' first-round playoff series Thursday night.
The NBA made the announcement late Tuesday, two days before the series shifts to the defending champions' home court at Chase Center. The NBA made the announcement of a decision by executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars.
“The suspension was based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the release said.
Golden State trailed the bestof-seven series, 2-0, the first time during the Stephen Curry era the Warriors have been down by two games in their last 28 playoff series.