The Cleveland Cavaliers showed to everyone why they are standing atop the NBA this season.
On February 28, the NBA’s best defied the odds and silenced the Boston Celtics, stamping a 123-116 statement victory in TD Garden.
In the final regular season battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics shook the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 25-3 blitz to open the matchup. But the Cavaliers retaliated, firing a 41-22 rally to get themselves back on track.
While Cleveland required tons of effort from Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and the others, Donovan Mitchell simply stood out as the man of the night.
With their backs against the wall early in the game, Mitchell didn’t lose composure in leading the Cavaliers until the very end.
With his team down from a huge deficit, Mitchell accepted the challenge to lead the Cavaliers’ recovery. He poured a team-high 41 points to go with five assists and three boards across 35 minutes.
Mitchell was responsible for Cleveland’s 12 of 28 fourth-quarter points to wrap up the team’s marvelous comeback.
On NBA Countdown, Stephen A. Smith provided his well-deserved credit to Mitchell for stepping up in the adversity and stunning Boston.
“Garland showed up a little bit but Donovan Mitchell was the story,” the ESPN personality argued. “I mean, the brother was absolutely spectacular.
“A star is in Cleveland, and his name is Donovan Mitchell. And as I said it, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the No. 1 threat to the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
“They showed up in Boston tonight and proved it. Period.”
From how they maintained their poise and ultimately snatched the victory despite the towering lead imposed by the Celtics, the Cavaliers have truly earned their reputation as the No. 1 team in the NBA right now.
With their perfect and well-balanced play, this only fortifies the recent notion of an NBA coach who says they are the team to avoid.
With their regular season series against the Celtics finally in the books, the Cavaliers can hope to keep momentum and utilize this once postseason finally approaches.
