Cavaliers win their first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993

It’s never too late for redemption, and Donovan Mitchell did just that this past Sunday evening. Spida not only inspired his team to victory with a masterful 39-point exhibition in Game 7 against the Magic, but the Cavaliers finally won a playoff series without LeBron James for the first time in over three decades.

Once the game was over, we heard a relieved Mitchell we hadn’t seen in a while. “This is why I’m here,” he assured when asked about why he was brought to Cleveland in the first place. “It’s my job.”

Aside from Donovan’s contribution, Caris LeVert had a strong game while adding 15 points and avoiding a catastrophe for the Cavaliers. The Ohio franchise had to rally back to win 106-94 and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Donovan Mitchell: “When they traded for me, it wasn’t just to win a first-round series.” pic.twitter.com/MxOUolLNnt

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 6, 2024

Just in the first half, the team dressed in black was trailing by 18, as most in attendance thought the squad was set to being eliminated early for a second year in a row. However, Mitchell wasn’t gonna let that happen and carried his team through.

“I don’t mean this disrespectful, but it doesn’t really mean much,” said the Cavs guard. “We didn’t come in just to win the first round. We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That’s the mindset.”

The crowd inside the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was chanting, “We want Boston!” at the end of the game, after witnessing their club complete their largest comeback in a Game 7 since 1997/98.

“I’m pretty sure everybody thinks they’re going to come in and kick our ass,” the team star said about confronting the NBA-leading Celtics. “So for us to continue to stay level-headed throughout, and just be who we are, that’s the biggest thing.”

On the other side, Paolo Banchero dropped 38 and won 16 rebounds, and said his team learned a lot from this postseason experience. “After the first game, people were like, I don’t know if they’re ready,” he expressed. “To come back the way we did, it shows where we’re headed and shows what we’re able to do.”

The Cleveland coach praised his players for stepping up and rallying back when they needed them the most

Even though the Cavs once again played without their starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed his third-straight game due to injury, the squad was able to defeat Orlando in this intense seven-game series.

Their coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised his roster for reacting during the second half, after trailing by 18. “That’s what special players do when it matters most,” the tactician shared postgame. “He was special when he needed to be.”

Darius Garland needed a little boost of confidence, and showed he has what it takes to lead the Cavaliers alongside co-star Mitchell. “We’ve been at it for two years and we’ve been trying to get past this first round, so he knew that we all wanted it at the same time and together,”

“He knew that I was a little bit down in the first half, but he kept trusting me,” Garland insisted. “It’s cool just having him in my ear a little bit, just telling me to keep going, stay confident in myself. I really needed it.”