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DETROIT — Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell exited the interview room at Little Caesars Arena and placed one arm around his father’s shoulder as they walked through the hallway together.
Mitchell then did the same with his sister.
On the court shortly after the Cavs completed their dominant 125-94 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 on Sunday, May 17, at Little Caesars Arena, Mitchell performed a celebratory handshake with his fiancée, Coco Jones, before the couple affectionately embraced.
Mitchell also hugged his mother.
This was a special night for Mitchell — and one he earned as the model franchise leader for the Cavs since they traded for him in 2022.
The 29-year-old Mitchell has been trying to reach this stage of the NBA playoffs since his rookie season with the Utah Jazz began in 2017. Mitchell had appeared in the playoffs in each of his previous eight seasons, only to be eliminated in the first or second round each time.
But with the fourth-seeded Cavs defeating the top-seeded Pistons 4-3 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals, Mitchell is no longer haunted by the second-round postseason hump. He and the Cavs are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals to face Mitchell’s hometown New York Knicks. Game 1 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at Madison Square Garden.
Mitchell explained it’s “a breath of fresh air” for him to advance beyond Round 2.
“It's been almost a decade of running into the same issue, right?” he said. “So, for sure, I personally and as a team, we can breathe a little bit. But … we can only breathe for about 12 hours and then get right back to it. So it's a balance. It's a blessing. God is good. I wouldn't be here without my teammates, but we’ve got work to do coming up.”
There would be vacations instead of work if the Cavs had not triumphed in Game 7. Legacies and jobs were at stake. The pressure was immense.
Mitchell led the Cavs with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field (2 of 6 on 3-pointers) and compiled seven rebounds, eight assists without a turnover, a steal and a blocked shot in 31 minutes. He is hardly the only member of the organization who had a weight lifted from his shoulders.
Cavs playoffs: Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game 7 instant reactions
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson won a head-to-head matchup with his Cleveland predecessor J.B. Bickerstaff, who is at the helm of the Pistons.
Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman took a risk by trading Darius Garland in February for another point guard who’s 10 years older, James Harden. In Game 7, Harden scored only nine points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field (0 of 6 on 3s), but he had six assists, five rebounds and just one turnover. A second-round flameout would have cast major doubt on the blockbuster Garland-Harden deal as well as the franchise’s decision to fire Bickerstaff in 2024 and replace him with Atkinson.
Center Jarrett Allen continued to build the legend of “Game 7 JA” with 23 points and seven rebounds, further distancing himself from “the lights were brighter than expected” quote he uttered after the Cavs were bounced from the first round of the 2023 playoffs by the Knicks.
Cavaliers playoffs: How Cavs and Knicks match up in Eastern Conference Finals
Forward Evan Mobley continued to show significant progress as a postseason performer, compiling 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 7. He looks like someone who was serious when he told the Beacon Journal on the eve of the playoffs he wants to stay in Cleveland rather than see Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-the-Cavs trade rumors come to fruition.
And how about Sam Merrill? The backup shooting guard who appeared to be obliterated by Pistons forward Ausar Thompson in Games 6 and 7 got the last laugh with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting (5 of 8 on 3s) in 25 minutes off the bench in Game 7. Allen and Merrill produced playoff career highs in scoring.
All of it (and more) contributed to the Cavs advancing the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 and the first time without LeBron James since 1992.
The Cavs earned redemption from their massive Game 6 letdown in Cleveland and backed up their “they aren’t in our class” trash talk about the Pistons in one fell swoop.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sent more than 20 buses carrying thousands of fans and staff members to Detroit for Game 7. Those loyalists made their presence known. "Let's go Cavs" chants filled Little Caesars Arena with 7:48 left in the fourth quarter. Typically, Pistons fans would drown out vocal support for the Cavs with boos, but most Detroit fans had already left because the beating was so severe.
Mitchell led the charge by repeatedly attacking the basket from the beginning of the game. He had an assist on three of the Cavs’ first four field goals. He kept his foot on the gas after the Cavs led 64-47 at halftime, scoring 15 points in the third quarter to bury the Pistons. Although Mitchell has struggled at times this postseason, he delivered in Game 7.
“I'll follow him into war,” Allen said. “I'll trust every single decision that he makes, every single shot that he takes, every single word that he speaks in the locker room.”
Atkinson credited Mitchell with preventing the Cavs from splintering during a regular season filled with injuries. The Cavs used 41 different starting lineups in 82 games and finished 52-30.
“I couldn't be happier for him to make that next step [in the playoffs],” Atkinson said. “He's going home to New York. He kept this thing together this year when things weren't going great. He was the beacon, the light.”
Mitchell garnered individual recognition this season with his seventh All-Star selection. He also received one fifth-place vote for Most Valuable Player, and he’ll soon be named to an All-NBA team.
Yet, Mitchell is beloved by the Cavs because the pursuit of team success drives him first and foremost.
When Merrill played at Utah State and Mitchell played for the Jazz, they formed a relationship. Mitchell has continued to mentor Merrill in Cleveland, so Merrill knows what makes Mitchell tick.
“You're not going to find a guy more happy for him than I am, but I know he wants more,” Merrill said. “We all want more.”
The Cavs should not be satisfied with anything less than an NBA Finals appearance, and they have the right leader in place to ensure they continue to push themselves.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs star Donovan Mitchell advances to first Eastern Conference Finals
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Mitchell then did the same with his sister.
On the court shortly after the Cavs completed their dominant 125-94 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 on Sunday, May 17, at Little Caesars Arena, Mitchell performed a celebratory handshake with his fiancée, Coco Jones, before the couple affectionately embraced.
Mitchell also hugged his mother.
This was a special night for Mitchell — and one he earned as the model franchise leader for the Cavs since they traded for him in 2022.
The 29-year-old Mitchell has been trying to reach this stage of the NBA playoffs since his rookie season with the Utah Jazz began in 2017. Mitchell had appeared in the playoffs in each of his previous eight seasons, only to be eliminated in the first or second round each time.
But with the fourth-seeded Cavs defeating the top-seeded Pistons 4-3 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals, Mitchell is no longer haunted by the second-round postseason hump. He and the Cavs are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals to face Mitchell’s hometown New York Knicks. Game 1 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at Madison Square Garden.
Mitchell explained it’s “a breath of fresh air” for him to advance beyond Round 2.
“It's been almost a decade of running into the same issue, right?” he said. “So, for sure, I personally and as a team, we can breathe a little bit. But … we can only breathe for about 12 hours and then get right back to it. So it's a balance. It's a blessing. God is good. I wouldn't be here without my teammates, but we’ve got work to do coming up.”
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There would be vacations instead of work if the Cavs had not triumphed in Game 7. Legacies and jobs were at stake. The pressure was immense.
Mitchell led the Cavs with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field (2 of 6 on 3-pointers) and compiled seven rebounds, eight assists without a turnover, a steal and a blocked shot in 31 minutes. He is hardly the only member of the organization who had a weight lifted from his shoulders.
Cavs playoffs: Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game 7 instant reactions
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson won a head-to-head matchup with his Cleveland predecessor J.B. Bickerstaff, who is at the helm of the Pistons.
Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman took a risk by trading Darius Garland in February for another point guard who’s 10 years older, James Harden. In Game 7, Harden scored only nine points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field (0 of 6 on 3s), but he had six assists, five rebounds and just one turnover. A second-round flameout would have cast major doubt on the blockbuster Garland-Harden deal as well as the franchise’s decision to fire Bickerstaff in 2024 and replace him with Atkinson.
Center Jarrett Allen continued to build the legend of “Game 7 JA” with 23 points and seven rebounds, further distancing himself from “the lights were brighter than expected” quote he uttered after the Cavs were bounced from the first round of the 2023 playoffs by the Knicks.
Cavaliers playoffs: How Cavs and Knicks match up in Eastern Conference Finals
Forward Evan Mobley continued to show significant progress as a postseason performer, compiling 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 7. He looks like someone who was serious when he told the Beacon Journal on the eve of the playoffs he wants to stay in Cleveland rather than see Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-the-Cavs trade rumors come to fruition.
And how about Sam Merrill? The backup shooting guard who appeared to be obliterated by Pistons forward Ausar Thompson in Games 6 and 7 got the last laugh with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting (5 of 8 on 3s) in 25 minutes off the bench in Game 7. Allen and Merrill produced playoff career highs in scoring.
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All of it (and more) contributed to the Cavs advancing the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 and the first time without LeBron James since 1992.
The Cavs earned redemption from their massive Game 6 letdown in Cleveland and backed up their “they aren’t in our class” trash talk about the Pistons in one fell swoop.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sent more than 20 buses carrying thousands of fans and staff members to Detroit for Game 7. Those loyalists made their presence known. "Let's go Cavs" chants filled Little Caesars Arena with 7:48 left in the fourth quarter. Typically, Pistons fans would drown out vocal support for the Cavs with boos, but most Detroit fans had already left because the beating was so severe.
Mitchell led the charge by repeatedly attacking the basket from the beginning of the game. He had an assist on three of the Cavs’ first four field goals. He kept his foot on the gas after the Cavs led 64-47 at halftime, scoring 15 points in the third quarter to bury the Pistons. Although Mitchell has struggled at times this postseason, he delivered in Game 7.
“I'll follow him into war,” Allen said. “I'll trust every single decision that he makes, every single shot that he takes, every single word that he speaks in the locker room.”
You must be registered for see images
Atkinson credited Mitchell with preventing the Cavs from splintering during a regular season filled with injuries. The Cavs used 41 different starting lineups in 82 games and finished 52-30.
“I couldn't be happier for him to make that next step [in the playoffs],” Atkinson said. “He's going home to New York. He kept this thing together this year when things weren't going great. He was the beacon, the light.”
Mitchell garnered individual recognition this season with his seventh All-Star selection. He also received one fifth-place vote for Most Valuable Player, and he’ll soon be named to an All-NBA team.
Yet, Mitchell is beloved by the Cavs because the pursuit of team success drives him first and foremost.
When Merrill played at Utah State and Mitchell played for the Jazz, they formed a relationship. Mitchell has continued to mentor Merrill in Cleveland, so Merrill knows what makes Mitchell tick.
“You're not going to find a guy more happy for him than I am, but I know he wants more,” Merrill said. “We all want more.”
The Cavs should not be satisfied with anything less than an NBA Finals appearance, and they have the right leader in place to ensure they continue to push themselves.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs star Donovan Mitchell advances to first Eastern Conference Finals
Continue reading...
