CLEVELAND — All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell forgot to wear his mask in pregame warm-ups and thought, "F*** it … let's just go."
Shedding the protective gear proved to be symbolic for Mitchell because he looked more like himself as the Cavaliers defeated the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies 110-98 on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavs (47-33) ended a three-game losing streak and moved to fourth in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference standings. With two regular-season games left, they need one win or a Philadelphia 76ers loss to clinch an NBA playoff berth and avoid the league's Play-In Tournament.
Beyond the victory over the Grizzlies (27-53), the most important Cavs development is tied to the Mitchell's health. He has logged just 10 games since the All-Star break in mid-February. A nasal fracture cost him time and forced him to don the mask for four games, but a left knee bone bruise remains the greatest obstacle.
"The biggest thing for me is just continue to build my confidence back up in my body," Mitchell said.
He took a step in the right direction Wednesday, scoring a team-high 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field (5 of 10 on 3-pointers), dishing out eight assists, grabbing four rebounds and collecting a three steals and a blocked shot in 34 minutes.
"Tonight is positive," Mitchell said. "But I'm always the one that's like, 'All right. I did it tonight. I got to do it on Friday, and do it again and again and again.'"
Mitchell said he felt "better" and "really good" but conceded he's trying to conquer pain and gain trust in the problematic knee. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection March 4 at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center. He said medical professionals have told him there is no structural damage in the knee, so he cannot make it worse by playing.
"Tonight was different than the way I've looked, and I feel like I can continue to get to my spots [on the court]," Mitchell said. "But it's a mental thing and just continuing to believe in it and continue to work at it."
Mitchell finished with less than 20 points in six of his previous seven games. He had his most prolific outing Wednesday since a 31-point performance Feb. 27 against the Dallas Mavericks .
Cavs center Jarrett Allen explained the locker room received a morale boost because of Mitchell's progress.
"You never want to see your teammates hurt, or at least playing hurt. Obviously, he didn't look like himself being out there a couple of games ago," Allen said. "But I think some time off, some time away, helped his body recover, helped his mental recover to come back and be the Donovan that we know."
The Cavs realize they need an effective Mitchell to advance past the opening round of the playoffs. A year ago, they were bounced from the first round in a 4-1 series defeat to the New York Knicks .
Will the explosive Mitchell be able to resurface in the postseason, which begins April 20?
"I feel like I can get there, for sure," Mitchell said.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he believes Mitchell is "close" to returning to full strength and "there's no doubt that he'll get there" partly because of the days off Cleveland would have as long as it eschews the Play-In Tournament.
"I believe his confidence is back in it, and he's doing things," Bickerstaff said. "Like tonight, you saw how shifty he was and how he would change direction in small spaces, how he was trying to attack the paint and get in those gaps that he is most comfortable getting in when he feels that explosiveness."
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Mitchell is more optimistic about his condition than in 2021, when he pushed through three torn ankle ligaments during the playoffs with the Utah Jazz . He said the setback was more severe than his most recent one, and it forced him to grow "from being a kid to a man."
Mitchell, 27, has been to the playoffs six times (five trips with the Jazz and one with the Cavs), but he has yet to advance past the second round.
Cleveland's chances to make a meaningful run in the coming weeks hinge on Mitchell more than anyone else. The Cavs need him as close to the best version of himself as possible.
"I can sit there and whine about [the knee], cry about it, or do something about it," Mitchell said. "And throughout the second half of the season, it's just been just taking it step by step, not tripping on the bad nights, not getting too high on the good nights, but just continuing to get 1% better."
The eyeball test indicated he improved by more than 1% Wednesday. There will be another crucial checkpoint against the sixth-place Indiana Pacers on Friday night in Cleveland.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs' Donovan Mitchell considers progress with knee injury 'positive'
