CLEVELAND — All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell criticized Cavaliers teammate Jarrett Allen on Friday night during their most important regular-season game of the year.
After the Cavs clinched an NBA playoff berth with a 129-120 win over the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Mitchell revealed he had told starting center Allen he "went up weak" with the ball as he tried to make a layup. Mitchell also opined to Allen the officials "bailed you out" by calling a foul.
The scene presumably unfolded with 7:27 left in the fourth quarter, when Mitchell whispered into Allen's ear after a sequence fitting the description.
The next time Allen had an opportunity, he earned Mitchell's approval by attacking with authority. The outcome? A three-point play by Allen on a Mitchell assist and a 110-105 Cavs lead with 6:12 remaining.
"I want him to stop critiquing me — in the nicest way possible," Allen said with a laugh. "He said what he said, and I was like, 'All right. I've got you.' I went up, and I dunked the next one or whatever it was."
The exchange between Mitchell and Allen (who led the Cavs on Friday with 33 and 29 points, respectively) shows how the standard has changed from 2023 to 2024 in Cleveland .
Although the Cavs weren't necessarily happy to just make the playoffs last year, a collective sense of satisfaction existed within the franchise when it entered the postseason for the first time since 2018.
This year is different.
The Cavs are more experienced. They added floor-spacing shooters in the offseason who better equip the roster for high-stakes situations. They acquired new faces who have been in postseason battles.
And let's not ignore this elephant in the room: The core of the team is hungrier after the New York Knicks flat-out embarrassed Cleveland during the first round in 2023.
None of this guarantees the Cavs (48-33) success in the upcoming playoffs. Personnel and coaching matchups will be crucial factors, but intangibles do matter.
"The mindset wasn't to get to the playoffs. The mindset was to win in the playoffs," said starting small forward Max Strus , whom the Cavs secured last summer in a sign-and-trade deal after he appeared in the 2023 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat .
"We've gone through everything possible during the season [with a long list of injuries], and I just think a lot of guys in here have the want to win. That's a big part of it. The want and the will to win, a lot of the playoffs comes down to that."
The message Strus delivered is a good representation of the mood of the Cavs, who are fourth in the too-close-to-call Eastern Conference standings with only Sunday's regular-season finale against the visiting Charlotte Hornets (20-61) left for Cleveland before the league opens the playoffs April 20.
The Cavs are guaranteed home-court advantage in the first round because of the combination of their victory over the sixth-place Pacers (46-35) and a 125-113 win Friday by the seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers (46-35) over the fifth-place Orlando Magic (46-35).
The Cavs are a game behind the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (49-32) and third-place Knicks (49-32), so Cleveland could still earn a seed as high as No. 2.
Home-court advantage didn't prevent the Cavs from being punked by the Knicks and knocked out of the playoffs in a 4-1 series loss last April.
The Cavs were not tough enough a year ago, and Allen conceded they have yet to earn the right to discard the reputation. He understands the real judgment time awaits the Cavs.
Don't let their inconsistency since the All-Star break in mid-February — a funk tied to the left knee bruise through which Mitchell is pushing — allow you to lose sight of the organization's raised bar.
"We all came here to win," said forward Georges Niang , who signed with the Cavs last offseason.
Despite Cleveland coming off consecutive wins for the first time since late February, Mitchell said the Cavs expected to the make the playoffs and called qualifying "the bare minimum for us."
He's right.
Cavs vs Pacers: How the Cleveland Cavaliers prevailed with an NBA playoff spot at stake
It would be shocking if Mitchell were to resolve his unresolved contractual situation by signing an extension with a team he doesn't believe has legitimate championship potential on the horizon.
And it would surprising if coach J.B. Bickerstaff were to keep his job should the Cavs flop out of the postseason again and validate opinions about the team reaching its ceiling under his leadership.
The pressure to advance in the playoffs is palpable.
It's another reason why the Cavs are clearly more motivated and less content this time around.
Cavs are in the NBA playoffs again: Cleveland Cavaliers controlled their own destiny with win over Indiana Pacers
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs hungrier, less satisfied after clinching playoff spot
