The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season is officially over, as they were defeated 114-105 by the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the playoffs. It was win-or-go-home for the Cavs, and though they had a sizeable lead during the game, they were not able to keep it, and the Pacers stormed back to win.
Despite coming into the game with a calf and ankle injury, Donovan Mitchell gave it all he could in Game 5 and finished with 35 points and nine rebounds. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the job done, and the Cavs will now be looking toward the offseason. At the end of the game, Mitchell was seen soaking in the moment and was sitting on the Cavs’ bench by himself as the arena was cleared out of fans.
It definitely had to be a tough way to be eliminated from the playoffs, especially with the season that the Cavs had. They were the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference and arguably one of the best teams in the entire league. They had a historic offense, and the defense was also one of the best, having Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen manning the frontcourt.
The Cavs will now go into the offseason, seeing how they can get better for next year.
Donovan Mitchell reflects on the Cavs’ season
After the game, Mitchell was honest about the Cavs and how they weren’t able to reach their ultimate goal.
“We took a step in the right direction, but we didn’t win a championship and we didn’t complete the end goal,” Mitchell said. “There are no moral victories here. We just didn’t get the job done.”
Many people had questions about the Cavs coming into the season, and one of them was whether they could make a deep playoff run despite having a strong regular season. They answered the call in the first round, but they struggled against the Pacers in the second round, going 0-3 at home.
“Don’t want to believe it,” Mitchell said. “It’s tough to win in this league. We didn’t do the things necessary. I love playing in that (expletive) arena. That energy. That crowd. We were 0-3 at home. Let the city down. This place is special. This place is really special. And we didn’t get it done. That’s what hurts.”
The Cavs will now have to regroup and see what they need to do to improve.
