The Boston Celtics just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 95-120. The Cavs have struggled to get past the 100-point mark frequently this season. They have only managed to get past that milestone twice in the last eight playoff games. That speaks at length about their struggles on offense, which is bad news, especially in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are a solid team with a balanced roster, including the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. But without Spida, they look like a different team.
After the game, Mitchell spoke about the Cavs’ offensive woes and what the team needed to do as they advanced. He said, “Continue to get in the paint and create. We’ve gotten some good looks and missed. Especially tonight we got 40 threes up, and we only hit 11. We’re getting the looks, I think the biggest thing now is just being able to hit and knock em down.
We had 95 today, but just continue to get into the paint, you know, they’re a good team, when they make shots, still continuing to get out, push the pace, and get our looks. But the biggest thing is we gotta hit shots,” Mitchell added.
The superstar mentions that the Cavs attempted 42 three-pointers and hit only 11. That’s a success rate of a mere 26.2%. Even inside the three-point line, the Cavs had a FG% of 41.1, going for 37-90. Mitchell spoke nothing but the truth, the Cavs have what it takes to create against arguably the best NBA team this year, but they have to capitalize on these chances.
Donovan Mitchell heaps praise on former USA teammate Derrick White
Derrick White and Donovan Mitchell traveled to China for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Mitchell was asked about how White has improved his game from then on. The Cavs star said, “He’s had some things that he’s definitely added to his game. I think he’s a guy that’s always…whatever you need from him… that’s a big thing, that’s selfless guy. Tonight it’s 25, even last series he was averaging 28 or whatever it was. Some series he may go over, but he’s doing other things defensively.”
Derrick White’s last 3 games:
38 PTS – 57% FG – 8/15 3PM
25 PTS – 61% FG – 5/10 3PM
25 PTS – 56% FG – 7/12 3PM pic.twitter.com/M6AD7x2xwH— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 8, 2024
He also mentioned that White has evolved to become a versatile player, judging from the last few years since he was with the Utah Jazz. As Mitchell claims, the Cavaliers need to figure out a way to contain White, as he has become one of the reliable scoring options for the Celtics in this postseason. They will have big enough problems trying to contain Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and White will just be another headache if he continues to score 25 points like he did in Game 1.
Mitchell backs Cavs teammates despite offensive woes
The 27-year-old Cavs player also spoke about the team’s offensive shortcomings. He was asked about how their opponents went on a run whenever he was on the bench and if he felt like he needed to everything there is to get the team past the finish line.
Donovan Mitchell: “I trust my guys——upset we lost but not overreacting.” #LetEmKnow #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/belazIsa7h
— Dylan🔮🪼 (@dillybar2145) May 8, 2024
Mitchell said, “I trust my guys. That’s kinda how I’ve always been. It’s one thing where we gotta continue to run our offense, it’s one game, we’ll be better at it.” It is refreshing to see that Mitchell continues to back his teammates despite Game 1, as he remains confident that they will bounce back. Like he said, the loss will help them understand where they stand against the mighty Celtics, and they could possibly forge a better plan in Game 2.