Donovan Mitchell’s third quarter breakout proves pivotal in Game 2
Once Donovan Mitchell took over in the third quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t look back in their Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics.
If there’s one thing that was clear about the Cleveland Cavaliers coming into their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Boston Celtics, it’s that as Donovan Mitchell goes, so go the Cavs. The team can lose when he has a big game, but they rarely win without a big time performance from number 45.
In Cleveland’s 118-94 Game 2 win on Thursday night, that reality was in full effect. Early on, the Celtics were able to keep Mitchell relatively contained. The Cavs’ All-NBA guard had just six points in 19 minutes at the break, having shot 2-of-6 from the floor and missing his lone three point attempt. However the Celtics were unable to capitalize on Mitchell’s slow start, and the game was tied 54-54 through two quarters.
At halftime something seemingly clicked for Mitchell. “I don’t plan on coming out,” Mitchell told Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff during the break.
Coming out of the locker room after that proclimation, Mitchell was able to flip the switch. He took the game over the way NBA superstars do, and was the driving force behind the Cavaliers’ dominant second half.
Mitchell played all 12 minutes of the third quarter, and made them count. He scored 16 of Cleveland’s 36 points in that frame, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three. Behind that performance the Cavs opened up a 12-point lead after the game was tied at halftime.
Despite the quarter break, Mitchell didn’t cool off to start the fourth. Still on the floor at the beginning of the quarter after playing all 12 minutes of the third, Mitchell scored Cleveland’s first seven points of the fourth as they opened their lead to 16 points. He’d assist on two more baskets later in the fourth before the game got out of hand and both teams pulled their starters.
In the end, Mitchell finished with a game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting. He was 5-of-7 from three, and added eight assists and seven rebounds.
After the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla credited the ways the Cavaliers were able to create favorable looks for Mitchell before it was time for him to make a play, rather than in the moment.
“[He’s] creating separation before the point-of-attack. They’re using off-ball to get him off there,” Mazzulla explained. “So, we’ve just got to be a little bit more physical with our off-ball [defense]. They got some of those that were communication, I think he hit one pick-and-roll one, and then the rest of the threes came in just our miscommunication, [and] our body position at times. Just kind of have to clean up those technical things of our individual defense.”
As was the case in Game 1, when Mitchell scored 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting, Jaylen Brown was tasked with the majority of defensive assignments on him in Game 2.
“He made some tough shots tonight. Some tough contested threes,” Brown relayed, when asked about the challenge of defending Mitchell. “We’ve gotta be up. But he’s a basketball player. We’ve gotta have a little bit more alertness to him. We’ve just got to take that challenge. Tonight, he got the best of us, he made some tough baskets. Felt free to get downhill. We’ve just got to keep making it tough.”
In Game 1 the Celtics were able to overcome Mitchell’s performance in part because their stars ‘outdueled’ him. Brown scored 32 points in that game, while Derrick White had 25. That kind of production wasn’t there in Game 2 – Jayson Tatum had a team-high 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while Brown scored 19 and White scored 10 in a rough shooting night (3-for-11 from the floor, 1-for-8 from deep).
The Celtics will have one day to figure out any adjustments they want to make against Donovan Mitchell before Game 3. This series continues on Saturday night as the action shifts to Cleveland. Coverage of the game can be heard on the BetMGM 98.5 The Sports Hub Celtics Radio Network, starting with pregame coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Read more about the Celtics below…
4 things to watch ahead of the Celtics-Cavaliers second round series
Rest vs. rust
Apr 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7), forward Jayson Tatum (0), guard Derrick White (9) and forward Sam Hauser (30) walk to the bench during a timeout against the Miami Heat in the second quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned above, the Celtics haven’t played since Wednesday, when they knocked off the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their first-round series. By the time Game 1 rolls around they will have gone five full days without playing a competitive game.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have been grinding. Their first-round series against the Orlando Magic went seven games. Game 7 was on Sunday in Cleveland, giving the Cavs just one day of rest before facing the Celtics. Their last consecutive off days were May 1 and 2 – now a week ago.
That brings us to a timeless question when it comes to playoff matchups – rest versus rust. Does the team that is more well-rested but has been sitting and away from the floor heading into the series have an advantage? Or the team that may be more tired but is already in a rhythm?
Boston sports fans just had this conversation with the Bruins a day ago, as the Bruins went down to Florida two days after their Game 7 and picked up an emphatic 5-1 win over the Panthers, who hadn’t played in seven days. Now local fans will flip to the other side as they hope the Celtics don’t show too much rust. Of course it’s a completely different situation, and aside from it being a different sport the Bruins and Panthers are much more evenly matched than the Celtics and Cavaliers.
Rust wasn’t a problem for the Celtics out of the gate in these playoffs. They had about a week off while the play-in tournament happened before beginning their series against the Heat, and still came away with a 114-94 win in Game 1. However, they did trip up in Game 2 and fell 111-101 for their only loss of the series. Let’s see if this time they can take advantage of their rest over the first two games of the series.
The Donovan Mitchell show
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on May 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Last round, the Celtics got to play a Heat team without a star player as Jimmy Butler missed the series with a knee injury. Now they will have to deal with a star – and a focal point at that.
The Cavs are lead by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, who carried the team to this point. During the regular season Mitchell averaged a team-high 26.6 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting including a 36.8 percent mark from three. No other player averaged more than 18 points per game for the Cavs (guard Darius Garland). On top of that, he was second on the team in assists (6.5 per game) and third in rebounds (5.1).
In the first round, Mitchell’s importance only grew. He averaged 28.7 points per game, with Garland managing just 14.9. In the wins alone Mitchell averaged an even 30 points per game with 39 in the clinching Game 7. He did score 50 points in one loss, but had 18 and 13 in the other two.
Mitchell is crucial to the Cavs’ success. They struggle to keep up without him (the two games he failed to score 20 points, the Cavs lost by 38 and 23 points), and even when he is on he’s usually dragging the team to a win. If the Celtics can keep him in check, there’s not much else the Cavs can do to be a threat.
Against the Celtics this year, Mitchell scored 29 and 31 points in the two Cavs losses in December. He didn’t play in the matchup in March.
Given the short rest, Mitchell’s health is something to watch early in this series as well. He left Game 6 of the first round with a knee injury, and although he returned he was visibly playing through something – even as he led the Cavs to an 18-point comeback in their Game 7 win.
Will Jarrett Allen be a factor?
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 22: Evan Mobley #4 and Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers block Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter of game two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 22, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Magic 96-86. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
While Garland was the Cavaliers’ second-leading scorer this season, there’s an argument to be made their second-most impactful player is center Jarrett Allen. During the regular season Allen averaged 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, in what was a career year for the 25-year-old.
In the playoffs Allen was a factor right away as well. He averaged 17 points and 13.8 rebounds per game through the first four games of the first round. However, he hasn’t played since Game 4 as he’s dealt with a rib injury.
Allen is listed as questionable for Game 1, and appeared to be a limited participant in Tuesday morning’s shootaround. If he can’t go, it likely means a bigger role for Evan Mobley, who averaged 12.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in seven first-round games. As far as the starting line up goes, Isaac Okoro started two games in Allen’s place, while former Celtic Marcus Morris started one.
The real question is here, how many games will Allen miss? If the Cavs go down early, will they show more urgency and rush him back to the floor? The Celtics are also expected to be without their top big man in his series as Kristaps Porzingis nurses that calf strain he suffered in Game 4 against the Heat. However many games Allen misses will make that absence less of a factor for Joe Mazzulla’s team.
A familiar opponent
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 30: Max Strus #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers passes around Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic during the first quarter of game five of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 30, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Celtics fans may remember guard Max Strus as a key part of the Miami Heat’s bench unit in each of the playoff matchups the last two years. Well, he’s now in Cleveland’s starting lineup after signing a four-year, $63 million deal with the Cavs this offseason.
For a Cavs team that is young and isn’t super deep in terms of playoff experience, Strus has been on deep runs multiple times in his career. He’s also gone toe-to-toe with the Celtics in the postseason before, so he knows what to expect. It wouldn’t be surprising if Cleveland leans on him at times in this series.
While with the Heat, Strus averaged 8.6 points per game against the Celtics in the playoffs. However he did have individual games where he was more of a factor, such as a 16-point performance in Game 3 of the 2022 ECF, and then a 15-point performance in Game 1 last year. Both were Heat wins.
That kind of production is about what Strus gave the Cavs in the first round of this year’s playoffs. After averaging 12.2 points per game in the regular season that number dipped to 9.1 against Orlando. He was heating up as the series went on though, scoring his three highest totals over the final three games (16 in Game 5, 10 in Game 6, and 13 in Game 7).
Strus played in two of the matchups between the Cavaliers and Celtics this regular season – both Celtics wins. He scored 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting, including a 5-for-11 mark from deep, in one of those games. He was limited to just five points in the other.
