Donovan Mitchell’s first trip to the Eastern Conference finals lasted only a few celebratory hours before the Cleveland Cavaliers guard turned his attention to the next challenge.
Mitchell scored 26 points in Sunday night’s 113-101 Game 7 victory over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, sending Cleveland through a second consecutive seven-game series and into a matchup with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s been nine long years,” Mitchell told Andscape in a postgame interview. “It’s a milestone, for sure, but it doesn’t mean anything without a ring. We’re four wins from the NBA Finals, and that’s a tall task.”
Force and trust fuel two Game 7 wins
The Cavaliers needed the full distance to eliminate both Toronto and Detroit. Mitchell credited “force,” collective play and mental toughness for the team’s survival. “We wanted it more, playing together and trusting each other. That’s what it’s going to take to keep going,” he said.
The All-Star acknowledged the pressure of nearly surrendering both series, recalling past postseason disappointments in Utah, but added that staying “locked in” with the current roster made the difference.
Return to New York brings added intrigue
A New York native, Mitchell expects an electric atmosphere when the series opens at the Garden. “I know the city is going to be on fire,” he said. “They’re a really good team. No one guy can stop Jalen Brunson; it’s going to be a group effort.”
Guarding against complacency
The 27-year-old pointed to the quick turnaround as another hurdle. “The biggest challenge is the mental— not allowing yourself to be satisfied with advancing,” he noted. Mitchell also brushed aside outside speculation about his pairing with James Harden, saying, “The job is not done.”
Support from home
During the decisive game in Detroit, Mitchell spotted fiancée Coco Jones courtside and called her “a big reason why I am where I am today.”
Cleveland now prepares for Game 1 against a rested Knicks squad, with Mitchell emphasizing that celebration time has already expired.
Source: Hoops Wire
