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Cavs “Let Em Know,” Make Magic Disappear in Hard Fought Game Seven

The Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024 slogan is "Let Em Know," and on Sunday afternoon the Cavaliers let everyone know that they could win a playoff series without LeBron James for the first time since the early 1990s when the team's franchise players were Mark Price and Brad Daugherty. The Orlando Magic built a 49-31 lead late in the first half in Cleveland before the Cavaliers pulled off the largest NBA game seven comeback since at least 1998 (which is as far back as such records go) and emerged with a 106-94 victory to earn the right to face the Boston Celtics in the second round. 

The NBA should not need gimmicks like the NBA Cup or the Play-In Tournament to convince players and teams that it is important to play hard; it should suffice to review what happened in this series: the home team won all seven games, including an epic comeback in the series clincher--and the Cavaliers enjoyed homecourt advantage because they finished one game ahead of the Magic in the 82 game regular season marathon. Of course, the Cavaliers could have finished two games ahead of the Magic if the Cavaliers had not tanked the fourth quarter of their final regular season game, and it could be argued that karma should have dictated that the Cavaliers lose to their hand-picked first round opponent--but the larger point is that the Cavaliers took the regular season seriously overall, and earned homecourt advantage for a first round series that could have easily gone the other way had game seven been played in Orlando.

Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 39 points, dished for a team-high five assists, and committed just one turnover in 45 minutes. Mitchell attacked the hoop relentlessly and he made 15 of his hard-earned 17 free throw attempts to offset his 11-27 field goal shooting. Add in his 50 point performance in game six, and Mitchell posted the second highest combined game six/game seven scoring total in NBA playoff history, falling just one point short of Allen Iverson's record.

Caris LeVert contributed 15 points off of the bench on 5-9 field goal shooting while starters Max Strus (13 points), Darius Garland (12 points), and Evan Mobley (11 points) also scored in double figures. Strus nailed three treys, Garland led Cleveland with 10 fourth quarter points, and Mobley had a game-high 16 rebounds while also anchoring Cleveland's paint defense with a game-high five blocked shots (one more than Orlando's entire team had).

Paolo Banchero had a monster game for the Magic, finishing with 38 points plus a game-high tying 16 rebounds, but he shot just 10-28 from the field and seemed to wear down in the second half, producing 14 points and eight rebounds while shooting 4-15 from the field. Wendell Carter Jr. had a solid game (13 points, seven rebounds), but Jalen Suggs (10 points on 2-13 field goal shooting) and Franz Wagner (six points on 1-15 field goal shooting, the worst FG% in game seven history) struggled mightily.

Cleveland has a rich sports history that includes four AAFC championships (1946-49), four NFL championships (1950, 1954-55, 1964), two World Series titles (1920, 1948), and one NBA championship (2016)--but that history also includes some fiascos that are so infamous and painful that they have become depressing catchword phrases that any Cleveland sports fan knows by heart: "Red Right 88," "The Drive," "The Fumble," "The Shot." For most of the first half, this game seven seemed destined to be added to the  above litany of sports meltdowns and disasters as the Magic looked unbeatable until the Cavaliers rallied just before halftime to cut the margin to a manageable 10 points (53-43). This game was a tale of two halves, because the Cavaliers outscored the Magic 63-41 in the second half while outshooting Orlando from the field, .542-.256. Mitchell reflected that tale in microcosm, scoring 15 first half points on 3-13 field goal shooting before pouring in 24 second half points on 8-14 field goal shooting.

Mitchell's impact went beyond his numbers. He demonstrated patient and productive leadership as he encouraged his teammates--most notably Garland--to keep shooting. After the game, Mitchell said that his message to Garland was simple: I don't give a (bleep) what happened before or if the crowd is booing--just trust the work you put in and shoot your shots. Mitchell hastened to add that at other times in the season Garland pumped him up. Mitchell did not show up his coach, throw his teammates under the bus, or spend more time whining to the referees than playing the game.

There is understandable skepticism that a team featuring two small guards like Mitchell and Garland can win a championship--and as someone who has consistently insisted that size matters in the NBA I share that skepticism--but I would caution those who insist that the Cavaliers should get rid of either Mitchell or Garland to consider that such a move is more likely to be a step backward than a step forward. With the assets that the Cavaliers would be willing and able to package, they are unlikely to receive more value in return than what they would be sending out. Mitchell is not an all-time great player like Nikola Jokic--but the few all-time great players who are playing now are not available. Mitchell has repeatedly proven that he can be highly productive on the sport's biggest stage--and even more significant than Mitchell's final game seven numbers is the fact that he did not quit after his slow start, nor did he wilt under the pressure of the moment. Several players who have won more honors than Mitchell have an established track record of disappearing in big games.

The path to winning an NBA title when your best player is a player of Mitchell's caliber is to build a deep and versatile roster that can wear down teams that have more top end talent but less depth. There are not many such championship teams in NBA history, but the 2004 Pistons and the 1979 SuperSonics are two examples. Mitchell is no less talented than 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups or 1979 Finals MVP Dennis Johnson. Billups and Johnson were better than Mitchell as playmakers and defenders, but Mitchell is a much more dynamic scorer. The Cavaliers have a young, solid nucleus of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, LeVert, Strus, and Jarrett Allen (who missed the final three games versus Orlando due to a rib injury). The continued development of that core combined with shrewd drafting and one or two free agent signings or trades could lift the Cavaliers from barely being in the top four in the East to legitimately fighting for the Eastern Conference title. It is a positive sign that the Cavaliers are already one of the league's best defensive teams, which means that (1) the coaching staff led by J.B. Bickerstaff knows how to effectively teach defensive principles, and (2) the team's young players have bought into the importance of playing good defense.

Unless Mitchell insists that he wants to leave--in which case he will get his way, because that is how the modern NBA works for All-Star players--the Cavaliers should not trade him. Players who score 39 points in elimination games are rare, and their value cannot be matched by acquiring a package of role players and draft picks. The Cavaliers should not part with Garland, either, unless they can get a 6-6 guard who is an elite defender and competent range shooter to pair with Mitchell--but such players are hard to find and not likely to be available on the trade market.

Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic, Paolo Banchero

posted by David Friedman @ 1:37 AM

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