The Cleveland Cavaliers finished 3-1 in Group A of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 128-105 rout of the Atlanta Hawks, but did not qualify for a wild card spot in the knockout round of the competition. Spencer Davies highlights five observations from the game.
Fear not, Cavs fans: Donovan Mitchell is alright. After starting the game with a shaky outside shot and a pair of turnovers, he put his head down and started to use his upper body strength to force the issue. It resulted in great success. Mitchell worked from the inside out and it benefited the Cavs greatly.
That went for whether he slammed it home, got to the free-throw line or kicked it out to the perimeter for shooters at the ready. The box score shows that Mitchell had a 40-point night with a perfect nine free throws and 11 rebounds to go along with five assists and steals. But even with those kinds of numbers, it’s about so much more.
“We know, and everybody knows, this isn’t a secret, that Donovan Mitchell is really good at basketball. You don’t expect him to have nights like he had, and I think that’s because we’re spoiled,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said following the win.
“But everybody at some point in time has an off night. You look at a guy who had been out and missed some time and then worked his way back. It’s gonna be difficult. It’s not gonna be easy. But again, the confidence that he has in himself. The confidence that his teammates have in him. Clearly, he’s a difference-maker when he’s out there on the floor and he’s rolling. Things just change.”
“But everybody at some point in time has an off night. You look at a guy who had been out and missed some time and then worked his way back. It’s gonna be difficult. It’s not gonna be easy. But again, the confidence that he has in himself. The confidence that his teammates have in him. Clearly, he’s a difference-maker when he’s out there on the floor and he’s rolling. Things just change.”
“He’s not a hog offensively. He knows how to pick his spots, but knows how to blend in with his teammates and get his teammates involved also. Again, when a guy’s got a hot hand, teammates know: Get him the ball. I think that was one of those nights tonight for Donovan.”
Mitchell said that playing and succeeding in the context of the team’s success is his job.
“It’s not going to be 40 every night, but continuing to play within the nuances of the game, continue to do it,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got Ev doing his part, DG, Max, JA, Georges. Caris. There’s so many guys. Tonight, it was 40. Sometimes, it may be 20, whatever it may be.
“But at the end of the day, just trying to impact the game in any way that I can. Cutting down the turnovers, I had six of them, know what I mean? Those are the things I’m looking at, but continue to play within the flow of the game. I feel like I’ve done a pretty solid job of that, and just continue to do it. I’m feeling, getting back to my rhythm and just continue to go off from there.”
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