Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had a bold message as the Cavs face an elimination game vs. the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
“It’s not over,” Mitchell said, via Associated Press Sports Writer Tom Withers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 11 points and hit five of his 18 shot attempts when the Cavs fell to a 3-1 deficit in the first round following a loss to New York. He added five assists and four rebounds, dishing passes to Cavs forward Evan Mobley and Cleveland’s more reliable options on the perimeter.
Mitchell went over Cleveland’s struggle to generate points and some potential ways to combat New York’s tight defense on the high pick-and-roll, BasketballNews.com Editor Spencer Davies wrote in a Tuesday tweet.
“The emphasis for us is it can’t be stagnant offense,” Donovan Mitchell said, via Davies. “We need to be more free-flowing on that side of the floor.”
The All-Star guard turned the ball over six times on Sunday after gaining four turnovers in the first two games of the series. Cleveland earned 24 total assists to 12 turnovers compared to New York’s 15 assists and 10 turnovers in Game 4.
Cavs guard Darius Garland picked up some of the playmaking responsibilities in Madison Square Garden, racking up 10 assists while not registering a single turnover. He dumped down passes to Cavs center Jarrett Allen on the interior and found ways to get Mobley involved in the post when Garland couldn’t find an open shot.
Donovan Mitchell spoke on the preparation leading up to Game 5.
“Even though Game 3 and Game 4 didn’t go our way. But, there’s a lot of things we can take away that are positive,” said Mitchell, via Right Down Euclid Editor-in-Chief Evan Dammarell.
The Cavs will tip off against the Knicks at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcasted on NBA TV and Bally Sports Ohio.