Without Darius Garland, hit in the eye, the Cavaliers went to win last night on the floor of the Celtics, NBA finalists. A success acquired after extra time, thanks in particular to the heat strokes of Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert, authors of 41 points each! A success that allows Cleveland to stay in second place in the Eastern Conference, and to confirm its ambitions.
By going for Donovan Mitchell, the management wanted to take a step forward, and this is a benchmark victory.
“We really feel like we have the ability to do something special. We feel we can win in any situation,” reacted Kevin Love after the victory. “It’s a feeling. It is an identity. There is not a single bad student here. Everyone only cares about winning. No matter what happens, if we stick together and stick to our concepts, we can win any game. »
Criticized for his solo side lately in Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell has blended into the collective, and in the absence of Darius Garland, he takes care of scoring points but also launching attacks. The All-Star guard has perhaps never played so well.
“I think we are ahead, but the big teams do this every night”
“100%, we believe that we are in our place… We are aware of what we can be, of what we bring individually and what I bring by coming here. There is a level of belief about what we can and want to accomplish. We know how it goes. We can’t get there if we don’t believe in it. Every evening, this confidence accompanies us. There is trust in the group and in others. »
A confidence that allows them not to let go when they find themselves at -15, or when the Celtics stick 75 points in the first half. “I had not realized that there was a 15 point difference” continues Donovan Mitchell. “I’m exaggerating a bit… But you understand where I’m coming from… It shows the character of this group. This gives an idea of our mental strength. There is not a moment in the game when you join the bench with your head down. Behaving already like that, when we are relatively a new group, that says a lot. What I remember from this victory is the fact that we stuck together and our permanent fight. »
Another hero of the evening with his 41 points, Caris LeVert remembers for his part that it is against the Celtics, in Boston!
“I feel like it was a huge game for us. We knew it was an important match. We know who we were up against… They were in the NBA finals. We wanted to give ourselves a chance to win. We were well rested, and I feel like everyone gave their best. »
For Donovan Mitchell, it is unexpected that the Cavaliers can already play at such a level.
“I didn’t know what to expect…I knew we were a great group. I knew that there were very great players. But sometimes things take longer. Winning a series of solid and contested victories, it unites us even more. I think we are ahead, but the big teams do this every night. So, we must celebrate and appreciate this victory. But we have to go back there on Sunday. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Donovan Mitchell | 4 | 37.7 | 44.3 | 36.4 | 85.7 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 28.5 |
| Cedi Osman | 4 | 29.1 | 52.4 | 47.4 | 81.8 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 15.5 |
| Evan Mobley | 4 | 32.8 | 57.5 | 33.3 | 81.3 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
| Jarrett Allen | 4 | 32.4 | 57.9 | 0.0 | 76.9 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 11.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 13.5 |
| Caris Levert | 4 | 34.4 | 28.9 | 47.6 | 71.4 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 11.5 |
| Dean Wade | 4 | 19.2 | 66.7 | 57.1 | 71.4 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 9.3 |
| Robin Lopez | 2 | 15.2 | 81.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 9.0 |
| Kevin Love | 4 | 19.3 | 39.3 | 36.8 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 8.0 |
| Raulzinho Neto | 4 | 10.8 | 46.2 | 25.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 4.3 |
| Darius Garland | 1 | 13.3 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Isaiah Mobley | 1 | 4.1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| isaac okoro | 4 | 17.6 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| lamar stevens | 1 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
