Mitchell led the Cavs to a comeback win without completely taking over the offense like he has in the past.
Donovan Mitchell’s 20 fourth-quarter points allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to erase a 14-point deficit en route to an improbable win over the Boston Celtics. Taking complete control of the game isn’t something Mitchell has had to do often for this year’s version of the Cavaliers.
“It’s a fine line,” Mitchell said afterward. “Trying not to go hero mode for 15-straight minutes but also trying to figure it out. ... And then also coming out and trusting that the guys are going to do what’s necessary to shrink the lead.”
Finding that perfect balance between taking over a game and allowing it to come to him has been an issue at times for Mitchell. He’s done a much better job of striking that balance this season. This has stood out to Quin Snyder, his former head coach with the Utah Jazz.
“I think what Donovan is doing is he’s really letting the game come to him and he’s got confidence in the guys he’s playing with,” Snyder, now head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, said last week. “He’s always had a terrific feel for the game.”
The feel has been there, but always allowing the game to come to him is something he’s struggled with in the past.
“I think that’s just the process that players go through,” Snyder said.
Mitchell is maturing, and so is the group around him. They haven’t needed him to bail them out often. Most of their 18 wins weren’t the result of heroic Mitchell performances. He did have the game-winner against the Milwaukee Bucks and other such moments, but he’s often taken a backseat to guys like Darius Garland in the clutch when that's what the Cavs have needed. He’s been a piece of a fully functional team and not the main reason why they’re winning like he was during their 18-2 run in the middle of last season.
There’s an inherent limit to how far a team led by one player can go when you have to get through a deep Celtics team to win a championship. The difference between who the Cavs were in the past that was totally fueled by Mitchell and the one that stole the win against Boston was on full display Sunday evening.
The Cavs got back into the game by holding the Celtics scoreless for four minutes midway through the fourth quarter with timely baskets from Sam Merrill, Isaac Okoro, and Jarrett Allen while Mitchell was on the bench. His teammates set the stage for him to take over when he re-entered with four minutes remaining.
Mitchell shot just 6-15 from the field and couldn’t get anything going from deep or at the rim through three quarters. He was able to put that slow start quickly behind him when the game was on the line.
“You can’t let shot-making dictate your vibe,” Mitchell said. “That’s the definition of a front runner.”
“That’s Donovan’s persona,” Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s amazing...he never gets down. ... He has a great demeanor about him and he never gets too down or too high. ... I think that really helps you bounce back from a poor first half like that.”
That outlook allowed Mitchell to bounce back with baskets on four-straight possessions after re-entering the game to give the Cavs a lead. This included three straight triples.
But instead of the hero shot to put the game away, Mitchell took what the defense gave him which led to an easy dunk for Evan Mobley off a feed from Okoro. This play embodies Mitchell’s evolution.
When the Cavs went all-in for Mitchell in 2021, they were hoping they were getting someone who wouldn’t need to be the center of the team, but the cherry on top of an already well-put-together group. The Cavs' core wasn’t where they needed to be the last two years for that to happen. It’s also fair to wonder if Mitchell could’ve played the role he has this season in the past.
Now, we’re seeing the idealized version of this group with Mitchell in a way we haven’t before. That was clear by how he and the team responded to the adversity they faced on Sunday.
“I think that just speaks to the growth of our group,” Mitchell said. “I think you go back to when I first got here. Obviously, we’re younger. We’re not as familiar with each other. You kind of fold in those situations. ... When we face adversity, who are we going to be? That’s what we’re continually seeing from this group. ... I’m proud of the way we fought.”
