Donovan Mitchell is definitely ecstatic to see the Cleveland Cavaliers make it to the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs; however, he knows very well that winning just the first round isn’t their goal. As they now gear up for the Boston Celtics, Mitchell wants his team to be ready.
Speaking to reporters following their massive 106-94 win over the Magic on Sunday, Mitchell pointed out that he and the rest of the Cavs have every right to celebrate the victory. After all, they just completed the biggest comeback in a Game 7 in playoffs history after trailing by as much as 18 points in the said contest. However, the All-Star guard emphasized that they have to quickly regroup after the celebrations and shift their focus on Boston.
The Celtics are the best team in the East and the NBA, and they are coming off a gentleman sweep of the fiery Miami Heat in the opening round. Having been well-rested and with homecourt advantage, Boston will surely be even harder to beat.
Cleveland’s job is far from over, and Mitchell wants the rest of the Cavs to keep that in mind.
“Obviously, we have a tall task in Boston … We can celebrate this for a few hours, but we don’t really have time … I have no doubt Boston will be just as loud and we come home, it’ll be the same thing. I was little upset they chanted we want Boston and DG misses the free throw, but it is what it is. It’s a lot of fun, going into a hostile environment … go get one, or two,” Mitchell said of facing the Celtics in the second round, per Bobby Manning of CLNS Media.
Donovan Mitchell’s challenge for Cavs vs. Celtics
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The Celtics will obviously be favorites against the Cavs, and for good reason. They have a deep roster headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and while Kristaps Porzingis’ status in the series is up in the air due to his calf injury, they have more than enough talent to counter whatever the Cavs throw at them.
As for the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell has been the only consistent source of offense for them. While Darius Garland and Evan Mobley showed flashes of brilliance, they cannot simply pop in and out like they did with the Magic. Against a well-balanced Celtics squad, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Not to mention that Jarrett Allen’s health is a major concern as he continues to recover from a rib injury.
Having said that, Mitchell understands that the rest of the Cavs need to step up and improve if they want a shot at pulling off an upset against the Celtics.
“We can be better. I hate to be that guy, this was great, this was phenomenal … but we can and will have to be better to beat Boston. No disrespect to Orlando, because they’re a phenomenal team … this was big for us a group, but we don’t really have time to celebrate,” Mitchell furthered.
The Cavs face the Celtics on Tuesday, so they don’t really have much time to relish their Game 7 win. They need to shift their mindset to playing another series, which will certainly be difficult. But that is the reality of the NBA Playoffs. Hopefully, Cleveland will be able to carry the momentum they got from their series win against the Magic and use it to pull off a stunner against the Celtics in Game 1.