SUMMARY
- Donovan Mitchell scored 39 points to help the Cavaliers achieve a Game 7 win against the Magic.
- Paolo Banchero recalled having his first interaction with an NBA player against Mitchell during a pickup game.
Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers put on a show during the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoff bracket. It was the only series that got pushed to seven games and at one point, the Cavaliers nearly let the matchup slip away to the Orlando Magic. In Game 7, Cleveland had a rough first half with a good chunk of their players getting into foul trouble.
During the second quarter, Paolo Benchero scored a good amount of his points by drawing fouls. The Magic also led by as much as 18 points which ultimately got down to 10 points at halftime. Mitchell came back strong in the second half and erupted for 17 points during the second quarter alone. Ultimately, the Cavaliers regained rhythm and took the lead to close out the game by 12 points.
Paolo Banchero feels honored to have played his first playoff series against Donovan Mitchell
The Magic had an incredibly successful run under Jamahl Mosely with the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year leading the roster. Banchero averaged 27 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. He also became the only other player besides Magic Johnson to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff at the age of 21 or below. In Game 7, he finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds.
“We had a moment when the clock was running down and he had the ball. He told me he had a lot of respect for me. And we shared words.”
Paolo Banchero on his friendship with Donovan Mitchell and the history they’ve had together 🙌
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/4murC74JjD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 5, 2024
After the game, Banchero revealed that he felt honored in a way to have shared the court with Donovan Mitchell in his first playoff series. He said, “We had a moment when the clock was running down and he had the ball. He told me he had a lot of respect for me. And we shared words. It’s funny cause, he was the first guy that I kinda went at it with before I got into the league. We was in a pickup game together.”
“You know, there’s clips on Instagram and stuff. But you know, we went at it in that pickup game and that was our first time seeing each other and playing against each other. So, it’s funny now my first playoff series was against him as well,” he concluded. There is a video on YouTube that featured Mitchell going one-on-one against Banchero. The 27-year-old slam dunked the ball over Banchero and yelled “Welcome to the NBA” on his way back on defense.
Donovan Mitchell seeks to replace LeBron James as the Cavaliers’ poster boy
Donovan Mitchell also had an electrifying performance during Game 7 of the Cavaliers vs Magic series. He finished with 39 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, one steal and a block. Mitchell also shot 11-27 from the field going 2-8 from deep. Mitchell averaged 28.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in the series. Mitchell averages more points per game than LeBron James did during his championship run in 2016.
Donovan Mitchell in the locker room after the series win:
“This is great, but we’re too talented to be satisfied with just this….. We didn’t come here for this just for one series.”
Spida is a LEADER💯#LetEmKnow #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/wCuHhBdJho
— Dylan🔮🪼 (@dillybar2145) May 6, 2024
Mitchell also became the first player to record at least 50 points in a playoff game with the Cavaliers once James did it in 2016 against the Golden State Warriors. This is the Cavaliers’ first playoff win since LeBron James and the only playoff win outside of the 4x NBA Champion’s tenure since 1993. The Cavaliers will be facing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Boston will most likely be their toughest opponent in the East.