Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the NBA playoffs with high expectations as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, known for leading the league in scoring during the regular season. However, Mitchell emphasizes that their regular-season success will feel incomplete if they don’t deliver a strong performance in the postseason.
“As it stands right now, this moment is crucial,” Mitchell remarked on Saturday as the Cavaliers prepared to welcome the Miami Heat for the initial game of their first-round matchup on Sunday. “We’ve demonstrated our capabilities throughout this season. The growth in this team has been evident. Now it’s about handling our responsibilities.”
This marks the third playoff appearance for the Cavaliers’ core lineup featuring Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. The team faced a first-round exit at the hands of the New York Knicks in 2023, losing in five games. In the previous year, they advanced past the first round by overcoming the Orlando Magic in a seven-game series but were defeated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Boston Celtics, the eventual champions, in five games.
With 64 wins in the regular season and an average of 121.9 points per game, the pressure is undoubtedly on the Cavaliers to perform. Mitchell also hopes their performance during the playoffs will earn them greater national recognition.
“We don’t get the recognition we deserve,” Mitchell argued. “We’ve consistently shown our potential throughout the year. We’re capable of being a potent offensive team while also being formidable on defense.”
On the other hand, for the Miami Heat, the pressure is minimal. Typically, a team with 37 wins doesn’t make it to the playoffs, especially one that experienced a 10-game losing streak late in the season. Additionally, this marks the first time a No. 10 seed has managed to win two road elimination games in the Play-In Tournament to secure a spot in the playoffs.
The Heat are now up against a Cavaliers team that finished just four wins behind Oklahoma City for the best record in the league this season.
“We have a deep appreciation and gratitude for being in the playoffs,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re pioneers in this new format, winning two away games to earn our spot. The consistency Cleveland has shown all year is commendable, and their performance along with that of OKC has been remarkable. It’s not a stroke of luck.”
The final regular-season standings showed a 27-game difference between the Cavaliers and the Heat, yet one victory in Cleveland could shift the series for Miami.
“Cleveland has been a dominant force in the East all season with historic performances,” stated Heat center Bam Adebayo. “Our focus is to secure a win in Cleveland first, then tackle the subsequent challenges.”
Advance Preparations
The Cavaliers had started preparations against Miami on Thursday and Friday but intensified their strategies following the Heat’s overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks, winning 123-114 on Friday night.
While the tight schedule might unsettle some coaches, Kenny Atkinson found it mostly advantageous.
“Facing an experienced team like Miami is exhilarating. Regardless, our focus should remain inward. It’s reassuring that our preparation concentrated on ourselves and maintaining our routine,” Atkinson remarked, recently named the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.
Full Squad Ready
Entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers have the luxury of fielding a healthy roster. Although Mitchell sat out the last four games of the season due to a sprained left ankle, he has been participating fully in practices this week.
Atkinson utilized a 10-player rotation in the regular season, which he plans to continue in the playoffs, contingent on the bench’s performance.
Mitchell vs. Mitchell
In a unique twist, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell will encounter Miami’s Davion Mitchell. As the Cavs’ driving force and a standout player deserving of All-NBA recognition, Donovan Mitchell will face Davion Mitchell, whose strong on-ball defense recently led the Heat past the Hawks with nine points in overtime. If included in playoff stats, those nine points would stand as a Heat postseason overtime record.
Performance Comparisons
Cleveland boasted a record of 30-12 against the other fifteen playoff-qualifying teams, only behind Oklahoma City’s 33-10 record. Conversely, the Heat struggled with a 12-30 record against the playoff contenders, the worst among all playoff teams this season.
Defending the Perimeter
Against Miami this season, Cleveland managed a 35.7% success rate with three-pointers. Only the Clippers (33.7%) and Atlanta (31.2%) proved more formidable in guarding Cleveland beyond the arc. However, the Heat managed to force an average of only 9.7 turnovers across their three encounters with Cleveland.