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Cavaliers leader Donovan Mitchell sets tone for Cavs playoffs in Game 1 vs. Heat | Ulrich
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- Cavaliers leader Donovan Mitchell sets tone for Cavs playoffs in Game 1 vs. Heat | Ulrich
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell entered the NBA playoffs determined to set the tone for the Cavaliers , and the All-Star guard achieved his goal in ways the Game 1 box score doesn't reflect.
Mitchell's undeniable leadership manifesting itself during pivotal on-court moments proved to be crucial in the Cavs' 121-100 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, April 20.
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Mitchell knocked the ball away from forward Bam Adebayo in the paint and dived on the floor to pursue it with 1:43 left in the second quarter. After Mitchell rose to his feet, he unleashed raw emotion by yelling to the delight of the Rocket Arena crowd.
Later, Mitchell pushed forward Duncan Robinson out of the way as Robinson complained to an official while standing near guard Sam Merrill with 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. Robinson had been whistled for a foul after decking Merrill, and Mitchell rushed to help his teammate off the floor.
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Welcome to the playoffs.
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Mitchell became the face of the intensity the Cavs will need moving forward, and it's something they lacked two years ago when he appeared in his first postseason with the franchise, only to be knocked out of the opening round by his hometown New York Knicks .
Times have changed. The Cavs are the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed coming off a 64-18 regular season, and they played the part of a contender to tip off their best-of-seven first-round series against the No. 8 Heat.
Mitchell's tenacity was palpable.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) runs on the court against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Big men are often expected to establish a tough, physical brand of basketball when the postseason arrives. In this case, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Mitchell did the heavy lifting.
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"[Scoring is] what I'm known for," Mitchell said. "But I think for me, it's the steals, being in the passing lanes, getting on the boards, boxing out, diving on loose balls, different things like that. That's really what's going to continue to take us to that next level."
Mitchell hadn't played since April 6, when he suffered a nasty-looking sprained left ankle against the Sacramento Kings . Although he fully participated in practice in recent days to ramp up for the playoffs, no one knew exactly how explosive or aggressive he would be just two weeks after the injury occurred.
It turns out Mitchell looked terrific. He was shaken up after one drive in the second quarter, yet he jogged it off and continued to relentlessly attack the basket.
Mitchell finished with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field (57.9%), including 2 of 9 on 3-pointers (22.2%). Mitchell missed his first six 3s, but he compensated with his efficiency near the hoop. Mitchell's shot chart shows he went 9-of-10 shooting in the paint. His only other field-goal attempts were from 3-point range.
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"We go as he goes, so whenever he's aggressive, everybody else feels aggressive," Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland said. "Especially when he gets into the paint, everybody [on the defense is] going to load to the ball, so that's when the spray outs come, and that's when our shooters are getting some wide-open catch and shoots. And that's when everybody's confidence gets going and shots start falling for us, and that's when we get really dangerous."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) brings the ball up court against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland Cavs guards Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome and Darius Garland combine for 85 points in Game 1 vs. Miami Heat
The Cavs went 45-of-88 shooting from the field (51.1%), including 18 of 43 on 3-pointers (41.9%). The 21-point win over the Heat gave the Cavs their largest margin of victory in a Game 1 since a 2016 playoff series against the Toronto Raptors .
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Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome scored 28 points off the bench, including 16 in the fourth quarter. Garland had 27 points.
Cavs center Jarrett Allen saw how Mitchell's influence set the stage for Jerome to finish the Heat in the fourth quarter. Jerome had a phenomenal outing in his first career playoff game.
"I think he took a lot from Donovan," said Allen, who posted a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds). "Donovan came out and threw the first punch from the beginning, and Ty followed."
The Cavs had three players score 27-plus points in a playoff game for the first time, and it all started with Mitchell's no-nonsense, mature approach against an opponent the Cavs cannot afford to overlook. Under coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat emerged from the Play-In Tournament as a No. 8 seed two years ago and advanced to the NBA Finals. They started their run by knocking off the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks , who were just two years removed from a title.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) stands on the court against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Mitchell realized the Cavs needed to come out swinging. He compiled five rebounds, four assists and four steals in 33 minutes, energizing his teammates along the way.
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"He never shies away when we ask him to do the dirty work," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Mitchell also scored 30-plus points in a Game 1 in his seventh consecutive playoff series, tying Michael Jordan for the longest streak in NBA history. Jordan did it twice with the Chicago Bulls (1991-93 and 1997-98).
Do you know how old Jordan was when he won his first of six NBA titles? The same age Mitchell is now — 28.
It's an entertaining factoid to ponder, but let's not get too carried away after Game 1 of Round 1.
Although the Cavs are among a few teams with a legitimate chance to win it all, the playoffs are merely in their infancy.
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Mitchell ensured Cleveland started them the right way, though.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell sets tone for Cavs playoffs in Game 1 win vs Heat
