Donovan Mitchell still remembers the pain of losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round last spring, as he went off during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first meeting against them this season.
Last night, the six-time NBA All-Star had 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four three-pointers on 11-for-22 shooting from the field in 34 minutes to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-109 NBA Cup victory at home.
“They beat us, you want to beat them, simple as that,” Mitchell said via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “I hate every team that’s beat us. I’m pretty sure they’d say the same thing right?”
“Like, you hate Boston because they knocked us out. You hate New York. I hate Dallas because they knocked us out, I mean, (I’m not even on) the same team. It’s just natural. You have a chance to play for a championship, you don’t like the team that knocks you out. You’re sitting (at) home while they’re on TV. It’s natural as a competitor. You want to win,” he added.
Cleveland Cavaliers News: Darius Garland’s return made a huge difference
Darius Garland’s return from a five-game absence due to a toe injury couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two-time NBA All-Star produced 20 points and seven assists on 5-for-12 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of action. Jaylon Tyson also had a positive impact on the team, with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 6-for-7 shooting.
“The excitement was up,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland and Tyson via ClutchPoints’ Spencer Davies. “Those two guys bring a lot of life, a lot of life to the arena, a lot of life to the team, a lot of life to the bench.”
“JT has high energy. DG as well,” Evan Mobley added. “Just happy guys, and we’re definitely excited for them to come back and play with us on the court. So I feel like that just brings more life to the team.”
