Garland embraces Intuit Dome's reception for his debut.
The Los Angeles Clippers gave Darius Garland a warm welcome on Wednesday night, and the new guard did not take it for granted.
In his first home game with the Clippers, Garland received a standing ovation from the Intuit Dome crowd before helping lead the team to a dominant 130-107 win over the Indiana Pacers.
It was only his second game in a Clippers uniform, but the connection between Garland and the fans already felt real.
The 25-year-old guard, who was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season, was moved by the reception and talked about what it meant to him after the game.
"Beautiful. It was cool. I wasn't expecting it for real, for real," Garland said. "This is my second game now. I'm starting to get used to it. But I mean, it's the first home game, so it was good to get an ovation. Super cool. Having a standing ovation, like the whole arena stand. It was super good."
A Strong Night for Los Angeles
Wednesday's game was Garland's second outing with the Clippers, and he looked comfortable running the offense right away.
He finished with 12 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in just under 24 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range.
The eight assists were a big jump from his Clippers debut at Golden State on Sunday, where he posted 12 points but only two assists in about 23 minutes.
The Clippers jumped out to a 42-25 first quarter lead and never looked back, controlling the game on both ends of the floor.
Bennedict Mathurin led the scoring with 23 points on a sharp 8-for-11 shooting night, while Brook Lopez added 17 points and Derrick Jones Jr. chipped in 12 of his own.
The bench combined for 60 points on the night, showing the kind of depth that could keep the Clippers in the playoff hunt down the stretch.
What Garland Brings Going Forward
Across his first two games in a Clippers uniform, Garland is averaging 12.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 47.4 percent from the field, and those numbers should only go up as he builds chemistry with his new teammates.
On the full season between Cleveland and Los Angeles, Garland is putting up 17.5 points and 6.8 assists per game, and that type of all-around playmaking is exactly what this team needed.
The Clippers are hoping his arrival sparks a late-season run as they sit at 30-31 and continue to fight for a spot in a packed Western Conference.
Looking Ahead
The Pacers dropped to a rough 15-47 with the loss and remain one of the worst teams in the league this season.
For Garland, the early days in Los Angeles have been nothing but positive, and the bond with the Clippers fanbase is already starting to take shape.
The Clippers hit the road next to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night before heading to Memphis on Saturday.