Copyright Heavy.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the 76ers 132-121. Cleveland was buoyed by Donovan Mitchell, who is once again proving to be one of the best offensive players in the NBA. He scored 46 points against Philly, dominating from start to finish. Mitchell missed one game against the Raptors due to a hamstring issue. Since then, he has scored 83 points in two games. Mitchell is carrying the Cavaliers as they continue to deal with injuries to some of their best players. He was able to pick up Darius Garland, who was playing his first game of the season. After the game, Mitchell revealed that one of the reasons he was able to score so many points was the motivation he got from a kid. He claims a trash-talking kid called him “washed up,” so he had to show him that he wasn’t. Cleveland Cavaliers Guard Donovan Mitchell Credits Kid For 46-Point Outburst After the game, Mitchell claimed it was a kid he was playing online video games against that helped give him motivation. “This kid pissed me off today. I was playing 2K. I played it for like two hours, and I told him too, I was like “Wait, just wait.” And he just called me washed up; he called me a bunch of things, but I love it. He saying he ain’t seen a highlight from me in a minute, and I just told him, “Alright, we’ll see. ‘This game was for that kid or grown man, whoever that was, so I appreciate you.” NBA players can grab motivation from strange places on a night-to-night basis. With an 82-game schedule, the season can become a grind. Mitchell was able to grab motivation from a stranger that he will never meet, and the 76ers were the victim in his case. The Cleveland Cavaliers Are Finally Playing to Expectations Entering the season, the Cavs were considered to be one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. With Garland back in the fold, and Mitchell playing this well, the team finally is playing up to expectations. They’ve been winning games by being opportunistic. Cleveland averages the fourth-most steals per game, showing that they are gambling more in passing lanes. With Garland back, the Cavs will start to lean more on their offense. They are still without Sam Merrill, who is a key piece off the bench, as well. Health is the main key for the Cavaliers to make a deep run this season. They Garland and Evan Mobley were injured during the playoff run last season, so they fell to the Pacers in the second round. Keeping those guys healthy for the long haul is an important part of Cleveland’s plan. Mitchell is playing at an All-NBA level in the first portion of the year. Once the team is able to get healthy, they will be a much tougher team to play on a night-to-night basis. He’s one of the few players in the league who is capable of scoring 50 points on any given night against any given team.
