Donovan Mitchell brought redemption and relief to himself and the Cavaliers.
A year after being bullied and bounced in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Cleveland is moving on.
Mitchell made sure.
“This is why I came here,” he said. “It's my responsibility.”
Mitchell scored 39 points, Caris LeVert added 15, and Cleveland avoided a potentially franchise-changing loss by rallying for a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday in Game 7 to advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Cavs trailed by 18 in the first half and were at risk of being eliminated early for the second year in a row — a situation that may have led to firings.
But Mitchell, who scored 50 in a Game 6 loss at Orlando and has been battling a left knee injury for months, put the Cavs on his back. He carried them past an up-and-coming Orlando team whose playoff inexperience showed in the second half.
“I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but it doesn’t really mean much,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t come in just to win the first round. We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That’s the mindset.”
According to the NBA, Cleveland’s comeback is the largest in a Game 7 since the league began tracking play-by-play in 1997-98.
Evan Mobley grabbed 16 rebounds and Darius Garland hit a critical 3-pointer — after getting a pep talk from Mitchell — in the fourth for Cleveland, which won its first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993.
The Cavs will start the second round on the road against the top-seeded Celtics in Game 1 on Tuesday. Boston went 2-1 against Cleveland this season.
In the closing minutes, the towel-waving crowd inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse chanted, “We want Boston!” — a matchup that didn’t look likely an hour earlier.
“I’m pretty sure everybody thinks they’re going to come in and kick our butt,” Mitchell said. “So for us to continue to stay level-headed throughout, and just be who we are, that’s the biggest thing.”
Paolo Banchero scored 38 — just 14 after halftime — and added 16 rebounds to lead the Magic, who grew up in the series but couldn’t figure out how to win in Cleveland as both teams held serve on their floors.
Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs went a combined 3 of 28 from the field.
The moment turned out to be too much for the Magic, who pushed the Cavs to the limit.
“After the first game, people were like, I don’t know if they’re ready,” Banchero said. “To come back the way we did, it shows where we’re headed and shows what we’re able to do.”
Down by 10 at halftime, Cleveland raised its defensive intensity in the third quarter and outscored Orlando 33-15. The Magic went just 4 of 24 from the field in the period and seemed hesitant while waiting for Banchero to do more.
The Cavs were up 85-77 in the fourth when Garland, who was in foul trouble in the first half and was clearly frustrated before Mitchell wrapped his arm around him on the bench, drained a 3-pointer from the corner to put Cleveland up 11.
After the shot dropped and Orlando called a timeout, a relieved Garland was bear-hugged by Mitchell, who was acquired in a trade two years ago from Utah to hopefully get Cleveland closer to another championship.
The Cavaliers made progress with him.
Garland stated that they had been working for two years to advance past the first round. He also mentioned that they all wanted it at the same time and together. He knew that everyone wanted it and supported him even though he was feeling down in the first half.
He mentioned that it was helpful to have someone encouraging him to keep going and stay confident in himself.
Cleveland was again missing their starting center Jarrett Allen, who was injured in the series with a painful rib injury from an errant Magic elbow.
Before his injury, Allen was the most reliable player against the Magic, getting 20 rebounds in Game 2 and providing a defensive presence underneath to deter Orlando drives.
It's not known if he will be able to play in the Boston series.
The Magic, led by the 21-year-old Banchero, were close to winning a series they trailed 2-0, even though they only won 22 games two years ago before selecting him as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
But Orlando didn't have enough — or Mitchell.
Whenever the Cavaliers needed a significant play, the All-Star guard made one. Whenever a teammate needed support, he was there. In scoring 89 points in the final two games, Mitchell may have finally silenced critics who pointed to his inability to close.
This time, Mitchell finished the job.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, “That’s what special players do when it matters most. He was special when he needed to be.”
MAGIC COLLAPSE
Banchero’s first NBA playoff experience ended bitterly.
Banchero had his third game with at least 30 points in the series, but it wasn’t enough as the Magic couldn’t stop Mitchell when they needed to, leading to a disappointing end to their season.
The sensational 21-year-old Banchero described Game 7 as more intense than he had imagined.
He said it was a very intense game and every possession took a toll on both body and mind.
As the Cavs closed in on Orlando’s lead in the second half, Banchero mentioned that the Cleveland crowd was so loud that it was hard for the Magic to communicate offensive plays. He couldn’t hear the instructions from coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff.
However, the Magic were only down seven points going into the fourth before Mitchell, who finished with 39 and scored 89 combined in Games 6 and 7, secured the win for Orlando.
It was a painful way for Orlando’s breakout season to end. The Magic won just 34 games a year ago, and there weren’t many who predicted that they would be a No. 5 seed heading into the playoffs.
Despite the tough end, one of the league’s youngest teams gained invaluable experience.
Coach Mosley mentioned that it was a tough loss, but sometimes painful losses are blessings in disguise. He expressed pride in his team despite the difficult situation.
Mosley was determined that his team didn’t lose its composure.
“I think there wasn't a loss of composure,” he said. “They went on a great run and we got a bit stuck. There was no complaining, no whining, no yelling. Our guys were focused on how to get the next shot.”
While Banchero did his part, Wagner and Suggs had difficulties. Suggs, who suffered what seemed to be a serious ankle injury in the first game, only made 2 of 10 on 3-pointers.
“We had good looks and they just didn’t go in,” Suggs said. “I think we can accept that because we gave our best. I’m sorry we couldn't win this one.”
This was all new for Orlando, which will have its entire core back next season and is expected to be active in free agency.
Next year will bring higher expectations, but the Magic should be prepared for them.
“We won’t be lacking this experience next season in the playoffs,” said center Jonathan Isaac. “We’ll have this on our resume and have a chip on our shoulder to get back.”
Banchero demonstrated why he’s one of the league’s up-and-coming stars, a player just beginning to fulfill his potential. He averaged 27.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in his first playoff series, and in Game 7 equaled a team record with 15 free throws.
“Impressive,” Mosley said of his young star. “He wanted every bit of what they were throwing at him. There is a reason why he’s an All-Star and is going to be All-NBA. He’s going to show up in big games.”
