Darius Garland shared his perspective on the Los Angeles Clippers reaching .500 following Monday’s 126-118 victory over the New York Knicks at Intuit Dome. “I came in just to win games. We put in work all season to win games,” Garland said. “It’s exciting to be back to 500, but we got a lot more ways to go. We’re not done yet.”
Garland addressed the challenge of adjusting to minutes restrictions while balancing starting and bench roles. “Just trying to stay with it. Teammates lifting me up, coaches telling me to stay with it. I just go out there and play with a chip on my shoulder while I have those minutes,” he explained.
On integrating into a locker room of established veterans, Garland praised the welcoming environment. “It’s my first time being in a different locker room. They’ve been welcoming me with open arms. They helped me learn all the playbooks and defensive schemes pretty well,” he said, highlighting the smooth transition.
Garland also discussed adapting to Tyronn Lue’s system and the pace of the Clippers’ offense. “It’s been super fun. High pace. Getting the ball out pretty quickly and trying to make the right plays from there,” he said. “Everything will start improving over time, especially with the first unit figuring out rotations.”
On pairing with Kawhi Leonard, Garland emphasized letting the star forward operate freely. “I let Kawhi be Kawhi. It’s pretty easy. If you have a mismatch, he likes to throw the ball and just get out of his way. When he makes the right read, we go out there and be aggressive,” Garland said. He added that Leonard’s presence opens opportunities for teammates, citing dunks and three-pointers created from double teams.
Garland highlighted the impact of Kris Dunn on both ends of the floor. “It’s impressive to see him defensively. He makes timely buckets, huge threes, and acts as another voice for me on the floor,” he said. “Offensively, he’s the quarterback out there, telling me where to go if I don’t know some sets.”
Reflecting on the .500 record milestone, Garland downplayed its significance beyond team progress. “It’s just a number. We’ve still got a lot of games left. We just focus on getting better as a team, especially with our new guys getting acclimated,” he noted.
Finally, Garland praised Bennedict Mathurin’s aggressive playstyle off the bench. “He has no fear. He’s creative with the ball, getting to the line and to the rim by any means necessary. It’s super cool to be alongside him and watch him flourish,” Garland said. “When me, him, and Kawhi are out there, it gets the offense flowing, and Ben’s going to be Ben.”
