CLEVELAND — Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell stole the pass Paolo Banchero threw too high for fellow Orlando Magic forward Joe Ingles to corral.
Then Mitchell kept going, took off and provided the most compelling evidence in months he has turned the proverbial corner with the left knee bone bruise he suffered in February.
After throwing down a ferocious dunk with 2:53 left in the first quarter, Mitchell yelled as the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd roared. He wasn't in pain, but he was fired up and on his way to leading all scorers with 30 points in the Cavs' 97-83 win over the Magic in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series .
"It was good to get the steal and get into the scream and let the emotion out," Mitchell said.
A year after Mitchell disappointed in a 4-1 first-round Eastern Conference playoff loss to the New York Knicks , he said he slept for just two or three hours before Game 1 versus the Magic because of excitement. Despite encountering a red-eye scenario, Mitchell looked prepared.
"This is who I am — so now [it's about] just doing it consistently," he said.
The point is valid. After all, Mitchell is known for massive production at the outset of postseason series. His Game 1 resume includes 57 and 45 points in 2020 and 2021 for the Utah Jazz . He even had 38 points last year in Game 1 against the Knicks, followed by 17, 22, 11 and 28 points in the next four games.
"Last year is over," Mitchell said. "I think we've flushed that. It's great to get this win how we got it, the way we won. But at the end of the day, this is who we are and who we expect to be.
"It's great to feel good, but it's only one. We've got three more times to do this. Then the same thing. Then we've got to do it again."
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In Game 1, Mitchell went 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%) from the field (3 of 8 on 3-pointers) with three assists, three steals and two rebounds in 36 minutes.
"You know he's ready for the moment," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Time off before the playoffs helped Mitchell's health, he said. After the Cavs clinched a postseason berth April 12 with a 129-120 win over the Indiana Pacers , Mitchell went a full week without appearing in a game.
"I'm 1% better every day," Mitchell said. "Just continuing to get back to where I feel like I'm comfortable and I feel like I can be even better."
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Mitchell's teammates could see the difference, especially when he elevated and used his right hand to throw down the aforementioned explosive dunk late in the opening quarter.
"It was great," Cavs point guard Darius Garland said. "You could see his juice and his bounce was back."
The Cavs hope to benefit again from this version of Mitchell in Game 2 on Monday night.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs' Donovan Mitchell continues to move past injury in Game 1 win
