Donovan Mitchell just refused to bow out on Sunday. The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the brink of another first-round exit in their season-defining Game 7 showdown against the Orlando Magic, and Mitchell knew exactly what his team needed from him.
The five-time All-Star exploded for a game-high 39 points on Sunday, which follows up his 50-piece in Cleveland’s Game 6 loss. That’s now 89 points in two games for Mitchell, who has almost single-handedly willed the Cavs to the second round for the first time since the LeBron James era.
Cleveland Cavaliers News: Donovan Mitchell Reacts to Game 7 Performance
After the game, Mitchell could not help but give out an exhausted laugh as he was asked by a reporter about the emergence of Playoff Spida. After all, it’s not every day that you see a star go off for 89 points in two games, especially with the series on the line for his squad.
“I told you at the beginning of the season that this is why I’m here. It’s my job,” he said. “…For me, it’s just continuing to be level-headed. I did my job. That’s it. I just did my job and I to continue to do my job for us to continue to advance.”
"This is why I'm here, this is my job…I got to continue to do my job for us to continue to advance."
Donovan Mitchell emphasizes his role as the @cavs advance to the East Semis with a Game 7 win 🗣️#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/Hk3p8mO1Bm
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024
Mitchell dropped a perfect response here. As he said, this is exactly why he came to Cleveland, and this is exactly why the organization went all in to bring him to the Cavs.
The job, however, is far from finished. In fact, taking down Orlando in the opening round is but a first step for the Cavs and their hopes for an extended playoff run.
Things get much tougher from here on out with Mitchell and Co. now set to reap the rewards of their hard-fought first-round series win. This comes in the form of an East Semis matchup against the mighty Boston Celtics, who will be the clear favorites against the Cavs.
At this point, however, it would be foolish to count Cleveland out, especially with Mitchell at the helm.
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