The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves in early trouble in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, who took Game 1 in convincing fashion. After that 121-112 loss in the series opener, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs came into Tuesday night’s Game 2 looking to avoid falling down a 2-0 hole.

Mitchell then sent a loud, thunderous message to the Pacers in the form of a rim-rattling throwdown just minutes into the contest, sending fans inside the Rocket Arena in Cleveland on their feet.

The former Louisville Cardinals star seemingly wanted to take a shot from behind the arc but changed his mind mid-air, instead passing the ball to Max Strus, who was on the left side.

Mitchell, however, didn’t stop there, as he suddenly the lane wide open. Strus got the ball back to Mitchell, who made a cut to the basket before rising up for a huge one-handed dunk that cut Cleveland’s deficit down to three points. Apart from his incredible display of athleticism, Mitchell’s instant  recognition of what was going on on the floor was also something that deserves credit.

Social media immediately went abuzz after Mitchell’s throwdown.

“Spida with some takeoff,” one social media user on X (formerly Twitter) said.

“SPIDA ON FIRE,” another one shared.

From a different commenter: “Showing them whose house, it is.”

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Via another commenter: “CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR SPIDA.”

“He can fly,” chimed in an X user.

Mitchell, who scored 33 points on just 13-for-30 shooting from the floor in the Cavs’ Game 1 loss, knew going into Game 2 that he would have a bigger responsibility in leading the Cavs in Game 2, as Cleveland ruled out three key players for the contest. Point guard Darius Garland, small forward De’Andre Hunter and power forward Evan Mobley were all declared out for the second game of the series due to injuries, leaving the Cavaliers with a significantly thinner group to deal with Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.

So Mitchell’s dunk, in a way, was also a message to his team that he was ready for the challenge to put the Cavs on his back amid Cleveland’s adversity in the Indiana series.