Donovan Mitchell praised the Cleveland Cavaliers’ “mental fortitude” after they overturned a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semi-finals series.
The Cavaliers had not won in the road during this season’s NBA playoffs prior to Wednesday’s matchup in Detroit, and the Pistons had a 96.8 per cent chance to win, per ESPN analytics, when they went up 100-91 with under four minutes remaining in regulation.
Cavaliers small forward Max Strus and Pistons power forward Tobias Harris then traded three-pointers, but Cleveland went on a 9-0 run thereafter to force overtime.
After scoring 43 points in their Game 4 win to tie the series, Mitchell was kept quiet for most of Game 5, but he rose to the occasion in overtime, accounting for seven of the Cavaliers’ 14 points in the extra period to secure victory.
Cade Cunningham starred for the Pistons with 39 points and hit a 21-foot jump shot with 25 seconds left to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to two. However, veteran James Harden made a free throw and then rebounded after intentionally missing the second to force another Pistons foul, with his next successful free throw leaving the Pistons with too much to do in the waning seconds.
“We really needed this game to avoid being down 3-2 in the series,” Mitchell told his post-game press conference.
“We knew we would have to win on the road at some point to advance, so we decided it might as well be tonight. Even when we were down late, we kept focused on withstanding their runs, because the playoffs are all about those ebbs and flows. Every guy stepped up exactly when we needed them to.”
Mitchell hails Cavaliers’ mental strength
The Cavaliers had held leads in the fourth quarter in Games 1 and 2 in Detroit before going on to lose, and Mitchell was asked what was different this time around.
“It came down to mental fortitude and having recent experiences to pull from,” he replied.
“Even when we were trailing by nine, the guys on the floor and the bench stayed vocal and engaged. We were able to secure the proper stops, grab key rebounds, and execute our offense when the game was on the line.
“I saw us standing firm. There were several late-game situations where we could have folded, but we responded well. Having those tough experiences from games one and two gave us something to pull from, and being able to execute that comeback on the road is a big-time step for our growth.”
Assessing his own performance, Mitchell said: “I’ve always said it doesn’t matter if I score 40 or 15 points; it’s just about finding a way to win.
“I missed some open looks early, but you can’t trip on past mistakes or turnovers. I focused on how I could help the team succeed on both ends, like with my box outs, and then I just did what was necessary when the heroics were needed in overtime.”
The Cavaliers can book an Eastern Conference Finals series with the New York Knicks by beating the Pistons in Game 6 in Cleveland on Friday.
However, Mitchell is acutely aware that the Cavaliers must maintain their focus for that to become a reality.
“The advantage [of the win] is knowing we need to stay even-keeled and keep communicating,” Mitchell explained.
“At the end of the day, it’s only 3-2 and the series isn’t over yet. It was great to get a road win, but now we have to go back and protect our home court. Our playoff experience is what allows us to stay focused on the next challenge without getting too high or too low.
“There’s no relief; we just did what we were supposed to do. I think the media made the road win a bigger deal than we did in the locker room. We knew we had to steal one eventually, and now the challenge is to go home and protect our court. It’s about staying mentally sharp and capitalising on this opportunity.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
