"This is why I'm here": Donovan Mitchell beams with pride as Cavs break post-LeBron James playoff barrier
The 2022 trade for Donovan Mitchell has paid dividends for the Cleveland Cavaliers front office. He's powered two playoff appearances in two seasons, and Sunday's Game 7 win over the Orland Magic gave Cleveland its first playoff series win without LeBron James since 1993.
For Mitchell, it was just a day in the office, and this was the reason why team owner Dan Gilbert agreed to bring him in to lead a young core of players.
“I told you at the beginning of the series, like, this is why I’m here. This is my job," Mitchell said (at the 11:00 mark). "It's why there is an expectation on myself and I deserve the criticism as well as much as the success."
Mitchell tallied 39 points, including two 3-pointers; nine rebounds; and five assists in Sunday's 106-94 victory.
Donovan Mitchell excited for the challenge of battling Boston Celtics in a seven-game series
Now that the playoff series between the Cavs and Magic is in the record books, Cleveland earned the right to face the Boston Celtics in the second round. Its opponent was the team with the NBA's best regular-season record, and battling the giants thrills Donovan Mitchell.
The five-time All-Star sees that his team matured during their matchup with the Magic and that will help them in the upcoming series.
"It's going to be fun. I'm excited. I feel this was a great test for us mentally, physically," Mitchell said. "Going to a hostile environment, we're going to need to pull together, stick together like we have been."
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in the regular season in scoring, providing 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He needs help primarily from Darius Garland and Evan Mobley to give them a chance to pull off an upset.
Game 1 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics begins on Tuesday at the TD Garden in Boston. Tipoff starts at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, and the game will be shown live on television through TNT Sports. Online live-stream viewing is available for NBA League Pass subscribers.