Darius Garland eyeing showdown with Stephen Curry in play-in tournament

The LA Clippers are facing a win-or-go-home situation on Wednesday night when they host the Golden State Warriors. The matchup will feature two of the best point guards in the NBA in Stephen Curry and Darius Garland.

Garland is still finding his footing as he looks to get acclimated in his new environment with the LA Clippers. But the guard has already flashed some Steph Curry-like potential with his ability to shoot off the dribble, extend his three-point range, and maneuver his way into the paint to score inside.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s contest between the Clippers and Warriors, Garland expressed his appreciation for the impending matchup with Stephen Curry.

“It’s pretty cool going against a top-75 guy like that, first ballot Hall of Famer,” Darius Garland said after the Clippers’ 115-110 victory Wednesday night. “It will be cool just to compete with a guy like that. The skill and the ability that he has, that affected me and the way that I play. It’s super cool to see that on the other end. It’s gonna be fun. Any time you play against top-75 guy like that or a first ballot Hall-of-Famer or someone that you’re inspired by or looked up to and watched when you’re growing up, it’s always super cool to go against him and go at him a little bit. I’m super excited about that, but my main goal is trying to win the game so that’s all that matters to me.”

Since being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland has averaged 19.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three.

He did struggle in two of the Clippers biggest games of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers, going a combined 12-of-33 from the field, including 5-of-16 from three, with 11 assists and eight turnovers.

In his four games back from runner’s knee, Stephen Curry has averaged 20.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. It’s a far cry from what he averaged prior to the injury at 27.2 points a game.

Wednesday night’s game will be airing on Prime, and the Clippers will host the Warriors at 7PM PST.

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