CLEVELAND — Seventy minutes after one of the devastating losses in franchise historical past, Donovan Mitchell lastly hobbled to the rostrum late Tuesday evening, overwhelmed and battered. Extra therapy, together with an IV bag, awaited him when he arrived residence.
This semifinal sequence with the Indiana Pacers has taken one thing from the most effective workforce within the East and left it crumpled in a heap on the baseline of Rocket Area.
One of many few knocks on the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of many solely issues opponents across the league brazenly questioned, was how they’d reply to physicality. Their lack of bodily play has been a priority since this roster was assembled and started to flourish. On a workforce wealthy with taking pictures, depth, size and playmakers, it was one of many solely perceived weaknesses.
How will they react to getting pushed round?
For 47 minutes Tuesday, regardless of all of their accidents and absences, the Cavs have been the extra aggressive workforce. Each dunk down the lane from Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus got here with intent. They have been the extra bodily workforce at each ends of the court docket. The Pacers trailed by 20 and appeared like a workforce content material to steal a recreation on the highway and take the sequence again to Indianapolis tied 1-1.
“I assumed we outplayed them,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned. “That’s the disgrace on this recreation. We outplayed them.”
The ultimate minute of the Cavs’ 120-119 loss to the Pacers might hang-out this workforce for months. In a metropolis constructed on scar tissue from devastating sports activities losses, this served as only one extra head wound.
They blew a 7-point lead and couldn’t even get the ball throughout half court docket within the last 57 seconds.
They did not safe rebounds off missed free throws. Mitchell was whistled for an offensive foul making an attempt to advance the ball throughout half court docket. There was an terrible turnover on an inbounds play. Atkinson needed to burn two timeouts late as a result of the Cavs couldn’t get the ball inbounded.
Aaron Nesmith comes flying in for the putback ✈️ pic.twitter.com/lQbbSjXTMq
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) Could 7, 2025
Every thing that might’ve gone improper did. Now, a workforce that was 57 seconds from a good sequence and rebuilt confidence is gazing a 0-2 deficit on the highway as its season hangs within the stability.
All the load administration throughout the common season, the cautious safety of Mitchell’s minutes for the final six months, none of it appears to matter now. For in crucial second of their season, the Cavs have been with out three of their greatest gamers, and those left behind to battle off the relentless Pacers have been gasping for breath.
Atkinson mentioned a number of instances his gamers “ran out of gasoline” and he blamed himself for not taking part in extra of his bench. It’s noble but additionally absurd given the absence of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and DeAndre Hunter.
Strus performed 39 minutes and Mitchell performed 36 — excessive totals for certain, however nothing outlandish. Mitchell’s calf harm and the excessive depth of the playoffs additionally issue into this. However the true cause the Cavs misplaced was as a result of they have been taking part in two-on-five within the last minutes, and nobody else accessible to Atkinson off the bench would’ve modified that.
OH MY GOODNESS DONOVAN MITCHELL 🤯
He is now as much as 21 factors in 18 minutes on TNT! pic.twitter.com/Hw5tXMi5rv
— NBA (@NBA) Could 7, 2025
Mitchell and Strus, who set a profession postseason excessive with 23 factors, have been the one dependable choices on an evening Ty Jerome utterly unraveled, and Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro occupied area on the ground however provided little on the offensive finish.
Wade’s 10 rebounds have been a pleasing shock for a workforce that struggles rebounding at instances, however he and Okoro don’t scare the Pacers in any respect.
This has been a depressing sequence for Jerome, whose last numbers in Recreation 1 far exceeded his impression. Recreation 2 was a whole catastrophe — he shot 1 of 14 and allowed Tyrese Haliburton to get off a clear have a look at the profitable stepback 3 within the recreation’s last seconds.
Mitchell and Allen, in the meantime, have been clearly exhausted by the fourth quarter. Mitchell and others struggled to create separation within the last minute towards an Indiana workforce that simply saved coming.
The Pacers are like novocaine — eventually, they’ll put on you down. Two of their final three video games have resulted in dramatic rallies from massive deficits within the last minute. The primary one eradicated the Milwaukee Bucks, the second put the Cavs in an enormous 0-2 deficit.
Nobody can query Mitchell’s toughness after he gutted out a 48-point efficiency on one good leg, displaying the kind of effort and willpower essential to win a championship. The truth that Garland, Mobley and Hunter all missed such a vital postseason recreation will doubtless develop into a speaking level for years to return.
Garland has missed two weeks with a painful sprained toe. Mobley was 48 hours faraway from a sprained ankle. Garland’s toe has been labeled as a ache tolerance concern. The truth that he couldn’t attempt to play in such a vital recreation is actually stunning.
So right here we’re, by some means proper again a 12 months later with this workforce. Final 12 months, it was Allen in these similar crosshairs. A rib harm knocked him out of the first-round sequence towards Orlando. It in the end ended his season.
Now it’s Garland and Mobley who could have two extra days of relaxation earlier than the Cavs play a must-win recreation Friday in Indianapolis. Everyone knows the historical past of groups dealing with a 3-0 sequence deficit. If the Cavs lose Recreation 3, their season is probably going completed.
Mitchell insists he’ll be prepared for Recreation 3 and mentioned it was by no means a query whether or not he would play in Recreation 2. Calf strains are usually measured in weeks, not hours or days. A calf pressure ended his season final 12 months on this spherical. He’s decided to not let it occur once more.
However who shall be standing subsequent to him?
(Picture: Jason Miller / Getty Photographs)
