The Cleveland Cavaliers couldnât close out the Orlando Magic in Game 6 on Friday night, as they suffered a 103-96 loss to force a do-or-die Game 7 to determine who will move on to play the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. And even though the loss was still fresh, Donovan Mitchell quickly turned his attention towards the impending Game 7 between the two sides.
While the Cavs lost, it wasnât because of Mitchell, who single-handedly outscored the rest of his team with a 50-point masterclass in Game 6. Unfortunately, none of his teammates (aside from Darius Garland) decided to show up, meaning Game 7 will be necessary to decide the winner of this series. However, Mitchell wasnât fed up with the fact that his 50-point outing went to waste, but he was instead pumped for the upcoming Game 7.
Donovan Mitchell, Cavs hoping to close out Magic in Game 7
Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Mitchell did everything he could to send Orlando home for the offseason in Game 6 (50 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 22/36 FGM), but the rest of his teammates combined for only 46 points, making his efforts futile. Even worse, Mitchell scored all 18 of Clevelandâs points in the fourth quarter, as nobody else could step up to help prevent the Magic from going on a run to take over the game.
Itâs pretty concerning to see that nobody else other than Mitchell could do anything in this game, especially with the stakes becoming even higher in Game 7. Garland chipped in 21 points alongside Mitchell, but aside from that, there was virtually no support for him. Conversely, the Magic were led by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs scoring 27, 26, and 22 points respectively.
If anyone is ready for Game 7 based off of this contest, though, itâs Mitchell. This was a game that Cleveland shouldnât have had a shot to win, but he very nearly willed them to victory on his own. If his teammates can show up in Game 7, the Cavs should be able to pick up the final victory of the series to advance to the second round.
Further helping their case is the fact that Game 7 will take place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, as Cleveland will have their home fans behind them supporting them in this one. And as we have seen through the first six games, the home team has won each game, so if that trend holds, the Cavaliers should be in the clear.
Of course, once the game tips off, none of this is going to matter, and the winner will be determined based on which team plays better basketball for the next 48 minutes. With Mitchell leading the way, the Cavs should be favored to win, but anything can happen in a Game 7. Rather than running away from that, though, Mitchell is embracing the chaos with the hope that the reward is a trip to TD Garden for Game 1 of their second round series next Tuesday.