The Cleveland Cavaliers were not able to have the season opener they expected, losing 119-111 to the New York Knicks. It was a rough first half for the Cavs, as they were outscored in both quarters and couldn’t do much to stop what the Knicks were doing. Luckily for them, they have Donovan Mitchell, and he turned things up in the third quarter.
With the Cavs down 15 points going into the second half, Mitchell had 21 points in the third quarter alone, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 2-for-6 from the 3-point line. He scored or assisted on the Cavs’ first 20 points of the quarter, and they were even able to take the lead at one point.
Mitchell definitely helped them get back in the game, and all they needed to do was keep the momentum going into the fourth quarter. In the end, Mitchell cooled off, the Knicks buckled down in the fourth quarter, and they were able to walk away with the win.
There have been many times when Mitchell’s heroics have saved the Cavs, but this time, it wasn’t enough. They got some contributions from other players such as Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill, but down the stretch, they couldn’t match the Knicks.
The Cavs were missing two of their key scorers in De’Andre Hunter and Darius Garland, and it’s uncertain when they’ll get back to being fully healthy. With that in mind, the Cavs know that other players will have to step up to start the season if they want to win games. Everyone knows that Mitchell is going to show up and put his imprint on the game, but when he doesn’t have it going or needs help, who will be the next man up?
There’s no reason to panic since this is just the first game, and there should be no doubt that the Cavs will figure it out.
