Donovan

Mitchell

Mitchell had 31 points on 18 attempts, but was also -23 in 32 minutes as the Cavaliers’ season ended with a 130-93 loss to the Knicks at home in Game 4. Mitchell had four turnovers and James Harden and Evan Mobley combined for eight turnovers. He was named to the All-NBA second-team over the weekend and becomes extension-eligible this summer. Mitchell is headed towards an offseason of uncertainty as questions about the future direction of the team will have to be answered.

Coming off of what he described as the best season of his NBA career, Brown just missed out on first-team All-NBA honors. The Celtics’ star wing was a first-team selection on 44 of 100 ballots, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appearing on 60 and finishing with 414 total points to Brown’s 384. Leonard, Mitchell, Durant and Brunson round out the All-NBA second team.

The three players the Cavaliers count on the most offensively struggled with their efficiency in Game 3. Mitchell committed five turnovers, with James Harden and Evan Mobley doing the same. Cleveland’s miscues led to New York scoring 17 fast-break points, besting the Cavaliers by 13 in that category. Mitchell also shot 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, and the inefficiency was too much to overcome in this matchup. For Cleveland to extend the series with a win on Monday, they’ll need a far better version of Mitchell than the one they’ve received in the first three games.

After blowing Game 1, the Cavaliers could not find their stroke in Game 2. Mitchell, who scored 19 points in the second half, was the exception, as Cleveland shot 38.8 percent from the field as a team. New York, which erased a 22-point deficit in the opener, grabbed control of Game 2 with an 18-0 run during the third quarter. Mitchell did what he could to pull the Cavaliers to as close as seven, but the hole was too deep to climb out of completely. While there have been some concerns that he may have tweaked something in his lower body during Game 1, Mitchell said after Thursday’s defeat that he’s fine. The usual explosiveness was not there, but it’s clear that he isn’t going to make any excuses. Cleveland will look to defend home court when it hosts Game 3 on Saturday.

Mitchell was highly productive on Tuesday. In his 41 minutes, he led the Cavaliers in points, was their most productive three-point shooter, and was massive on the defensive end, recording seven stocks. Yet Mitchell and his teammates struggled to generate enough two-way production to protect a 22-point fourth-quarter lead, which led to an overtime period and an eventual loss for the Cavaliers. Mitchell shot 1-of-6 and tallied two total points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. He’ll have a chance to bounce back and help Cleveland try to even the series on Thursday.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers are headed to the conference finals for the first time since 2018 after a dominant showing in Game 7. He rebounded from a poor Game 6, not only as a scorer but as a playmaker. After recording three assists on Friday, Mitchell was responsible for eight in Game 7 while committing three turnovers. He and the other Cavaliers were able to get into the paint early and often, which opened up everything offensively for them. Game 1 of the conference finals is on Tuesday in New York.

While he wasn’t as loose with the basketball as backcourt partner James Harden, who recorded eight turnovers, Mitchell struggled on Friday. Spida shot 30 percent from the field, and his inefficient shooting was one reason the Cavaliers could not close out the series. In three prior Game 7 appearances, Mitchell has averaged 27.7 points on 42 percent shooting from the field. He’ll need to be elite on Sunday if the Cavaliers are to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2018.

The veteran shooting guard put on a show in Monday’s victory, doing nearly all of his damage after halftime to help even the series at two games apiece. Mitchell had logged just four points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first half, which factored into Cleveland’s four-point deficit at that time. But he got going in the second half and followed a 21-point third period with 18 more in the final frame to bring the Cavaliers the victory. Mitchell now ranks second in Cavaliers history for most 40-point playoff games, with his four total trailing just LeBron James’s 24.

Entering Saturday’s game in a 0-2 hole, the Cavaliers needed a win, and Mitchell led the way. After scoring 31 points in Game 2, Spida dropped an efficient 35 in Game 3 while recording his first points/rebounds postseason double-double since April 21, 2018. Mitchell’s production in this series has been consistent, one of the few Cavaliers who can make that claim. Despite others’ struggles, Mitchell and the Cavaliers can pull even in Game 4 on Monday night. Cleveland is now 5-0 at home in these playoffs.

Mitchell was one of the very few Cavaliers to have success on the offensive end in Game 2. He accounted for nearly one-third of the team’s made field goals and, even with inefficient three-point shooting, found other ways to somewhat efficiently hit the 30-point mark. A repeat performance from Mitchell in Game would be great for Cleveland — they’ll just need multiple others to find their way offensively. He’s scored at least 20 points in each of the last four games.