The Cleveland Cavaliers took what ended up being a comfortable 114-102 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their first-round matchup, but they had to overcome some nervous moments to get there. The Cavs started things off with a bit of lethargy, and one play summed things up for Cleveland through the first one and a half quarters of their do-or-die game.
With the Raptors leading by five, 32-27, with over 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Donovan Mitchell turned the ball over in semi-transition after RJ Barrett poked the ball loose. This set the Raptors off on a three-on-two fastbreak, which they converted into two points with Barrett hitting paydirt to extend their lead to seven.
After Barrett nailed the layup, Dennis Schroder, the man who ended up being the Cavs’ last line of defense in transition, went berserk as he called Mitchell for not just the turnover, but also his lack of hustle in getting back in transition.
Nonetheless, after the game, Mitchell acknowledged that he was well and truly at fault for that and he respects and even welcomes how Schroder held him accountable.
“I’m the type of guy that loves being held accountable. I’m not a perfect player, no one is,” Mitchell said in his postgame presser, via @Thechat101 on X (formerly Twitter). “The fact that we were able to have that conversation, I got a lot of respect for that dude. He holds everybody accountable.”
Schroder has been part of a few winning teams, and he’s always been a vocal player. The Cavs, considering how under pressure they are to win big and win now, need that kind of strong personality to help elevate this roster that has had a history of shrinking under the bright lights.
Mitchell deserves credit as well for being up to the task and for being willing to set his pride aside for the betterment of not just himself as a player, but also the entire team.