Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Miami’s Tyler Herro are getting offensive about their defense.
With Cleveland holding a two-games-to-one lead over Miami in the best-of-seven playoff series that resumes Saturday afternoon, the star guards are bickering with one another. That’s not all that surprising considering both players have been All-Stars, are ultra-competitive and have often found themselves matched up with one another throughout this first round series.
What is surprising is that neither one of these guards is particularly well-known for their defensive prowess. It’s quite the opposite. Both players are among the best scorers at their position. Herro averaged 23.9 points in the regular season and Garland, 20.6.
We’re not exactly talking about Gary Payton and Bruce Bowen chirping over who’s putting the clamps on whom. But that hasn’t prevented either from yapping.
“Pick on Tyler Herro.” That was the response Garland offered media members when asked about the Cavs’ game plan following their Game 2 win earlier this week.
Herro, fresh off a 33-point performance in the Heat’s loss, didn’t appreciate Garland’s comment.
“To go to the media to talk about the game plan and this and that says a lot about him. I’m not worried about Darius Garland,” Herro said Friday. “Somebody that doesn’t play defense shouldn’t be talking, either. He don’t play any defense… He don’t play no D.”
Garland And Cleveland Lead Miami And Herro Two Games To None
Ya know what? They’re both right. Neither plays much defense. But who cares? It’s about time a couple of NBA opponents haltered the post-game jersey swaps and started talking a little shit. Take away the tights, compression sleeves and pink shoes, and you might briefly think we’ve stumbled upon some good old-fashioned ’90s NBA.
And now, even the coaches are involved. Ahead of Saturday’s Game 3, Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson weighed in on the defense debate: “I don’t control what they say, at all. …Tyler’s a great player, he’s an All-Star, great competitor, great competitor on both ends, much like Darius. So, it’s like the playground, right? Like you go out there and you get someone you’re going up against, sometimes there’s some verbal stuff. I think it’s overblown. And once that ball is thrown up, none of that stuff matters.”
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra had a much more blunt take ahead of tip-off: “They won two games, so they’re talking shit. It is what it is.”
There might not be much defense, but there should be plenty of fireworks.
Follow along on X: @OhioAF
