Cavaliers Storm Back On Donovan Mitchell 39 Point Performance

The Return of Playoff Donovan showed up just in time to save the Cleveland Cavaliers from defeat.

Donovan Mitchell once again led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a playoff victory, propelling them into the second round of the NBA playoffs. While he didn't match his 50-point performance from Game 6, Mitchell's 39-point effort in Sunday afternoon's Game 7 was enough to secure a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic, clinching the first-round playoff series 4-3.

Early in the game, Mitchell received minimal support from his teammates, but he managed to carry the Cavaliers for the second straight game. Despite facing tough defense from Jalen Suggs, Mitchell delivered another stellar performance. After a challenging first half where he shot 3-for-13, Mitchell turned it around in the third quarter, scoring 17 points and spearheading a comeback.

What the Cavs Say:
"I'm tired of losing in the first round," Mitchell said. "You work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset ... For me, just be in attack mode. I'm battling through what I'm battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out, or rehab it for the next three or four months. That's where I'm at mentally."

"He's a competitor. He's a go-getter," Darius Garland said. "He's a winner -- that's all he talks about. He wants us to get over this hump. He's going to do anything possible to get us over it."

"[Mitchell is] the guy that can pull everybody along, not just with his skill but in spirit as well," Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said. "When you see your teammate, a guy you care about playing that way, you don't want to let that guy down so you go out and do whatever you can to help that guy.

"We talk about how everybody has their style and their piece of leadership here and that's how Don leads by being special in the moment. His teammates want to be a part of it."

"We didn't make the group we made just to come in and win the first round," Mitchell said. "We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That's the mindset ... When they traded for me, it wasn't just to win a first-round series, it was to continue to push and move forward. And I think that's where all of our heads are at."

Next up for the Cavs is Tuesday night's date with the Boston Celtics.