The moment came in the third quarter, and Donovan Mitchell took control.
After Jayson Tatum made a 3-pointer over him, Mitchell felt the Celtics gaining momentum. He could sense the energy fading from Cleveland’s excited crowd and noticed his teammates starting to lose some of their fight.
Mitchell knew what he had to do: take over.
And that’s exactly what he did.
Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Cavs bounce back from a loss in Boston last month. He led Cleveland to a 115-111 victory over the defending NBA champions on Sunday night.
“That’s who we want to be,” said Mitchell, who scored 30 points in the second half after a slow start. “I think you always want to get a team back when they beat you, regardless of who it is, and just continue to have our imprint on the game.”
The Cavs had opened the season 15-0 before their first loss in Boston on Nov. 19. Despite that defeat, Cleveland players were encouraged by their effort and promised things would be different the next time they played the Celtics.
Mitchell made sure of it. After a poor performance in a loss to Atlanta on Friday, he didn’t start well against the Celtics, who were missing Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
But when it mattered most, Mitchell stepped up and led his team.
“He was unbelievable,” said Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson, who is now 18-3 in his first season with the Cavs.
Mitchell had a perfect fourth quarter, making all six of his shots, including four 3-pointers and four free throws. He scored 11 consecutive points in a burst, hitting three straight 3-pointers and then making a floater to put the Cavs ahead 103-101 with 1:07 left.
The game then became about fouls and free throws, and the Cavs managed to hold on despite a few tense moments during inbounds plays, ending the Celtics’ seven-game winning streak.
The win also boosted the Cavs’ confidence, showing them they can compete with the Celtics any time. Boston eliminated Cleveland in five games during last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, and it looks like the teams might meet again this season.
Mitchell was proud of his teammates, especially Darius Garland, who scored 22 points and held his own against the Celtics when they targeted him in pick-and-roll situations.
This game marked Mitchell’s 59th with at least 30 points, moving him past World B. Free for second place on the Cavs’ all-time list. He recently passed Kyrie Irving, who had 54, but Mitchell still has a long way to go to catch LeBron James, who holds the record with 324.
However, Mitchell’s focus is on achieving something even bigger for Cleveland.
“To be in the history books like that, it’s always an honor,” he said. “When you sit back and you look at what you’re able to accomplish, it’s definitely a blessing. And to be able to pass a legend like World B. Free and a legend in Kyrie Irving, it’s great to be in that company.
“But at the end of the day, man, I got to win a ring. This is great. I’m honored. I’m always going to say I’m honored. But you got to find a way to bring the city another championship and that’s the goal.”
