Cavs happy with easy win over Wizards, but happier Darius Garland is OK after taking hard hit to head

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers led start to finish against the woebegone Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Even though Cleveland pummeled the Wizards 118-87 in an NBA Cup game, everyone's attention is on Darius Garland. He was inadvertently hit in the head by Washington center Jonas Valanciunas with 8:08 left in the third quarter, crashed to the floor, was taken to the locker room and didn't return. Garland, who was playing at an All-Star level for Cleveland, was replaced by Caris LeVert. Garland said he was fine following the game. Minutes earlier, the 7-foot, 270-pound Valanciunas set a hard pick on Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell, who fell to the court. He grabbed at his shoulder and went to the locker room. Luckily for Cleveland (19-3), Mitchell returned to the game and finished with 19 points, five rebounds, a game-high seven assists and three steals. The Cavs had seven players in double figures against Washington (2-17), which has lost 15 in a row. Power forward Evan Mobley had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, while Sam Merrill came off the bench for 14 points, six assists and two steals and Georges Niang added 14 points and six rebounds. Valanciunas, Jordan Poole and Carlton Carrington each had 13 points for the Wizards. The Cavs, who maintained an 86-67 lead after three quarters, finished 2-2 in NBA Cup play and out of contention. Cleveland opened a 60-42 advantage at halftime. Mobley led all scorers with 13 points and six rebounds in the first half for Cleveland, while Mitchell added nine points and six assists. Led by Mobley's 11 points and three rebounds, the Cavs sped to a 35-20 lead after one quarter. Luckily for Cleveland, it shot .524 from the field and .462 from the 3-point line. That's because it was pummeled on the boards 17-8. Valanciunas was effective in the first quarter with 10 points and six rebounds. Atkinson honored Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson has been named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November. It marks the first time Atkinson has earned Coach of the Month accolades in his career. He is also the eighth coach in Cavs history to win the award. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 17-3 record in the first two months of the season, which was the best record in the NBA. The Cavs started with a franchise-best 15-0 record from Oct. 23-Nov. 17, breaking the previous mark to start a season of 8-0 set in 1976-77. The Cavs' 15-0 record also tied the second-best start to a season in NBA history, with Atkinson becoming the first head coach in NBA history with an undefeated record through his first 15 games with a new team. His 15-0 mark was also the best start to a tenure with a team for any coach in NBA history, surpassing the previous mark held by Lawrence Frank, who won his first 13 games with the Nets in 2004. Cleveland's 15 consecutive wins also marked the longest winning streak in franchise history. Atkinson credited his talented roster for winning the award. "It's 99% that and 1% coaching," he said. "This team is so talented and connected. We're playing with great confidence and continuity." According to BetOnline.ag, Atkinson is a 4/5 favorite to win NBA Coach of the Year. The same website listed Mitchell as third in the MVP race after he improved from 125/1 odds to 33/1. Denver's Nikola Jokic, who will be in Cleveland on Thursday, is the favorite and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is second after his odds improved from 28/1 to 13/2. Sixers sign Nance The Philadelphia 76ers signed forward/center Pete Nance to a two-way contract on Tuesday. Nance had appeared in eight games for the G League Cleveland Charge and averaged 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 blocks while shooting .472 from the field. The 6-11, 230-pounder was an All-Ohio player Revere High. Nance's father, Larry, spent 14 seasons in the NBA (1981-94), including seven in Cleveland. He was a three-time All-Star and earned three All-Defensive team selections. Pete's brother, Larry Nance Jr., is currently in his 10th NBA season, playing for Atlanta. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.