Despite losing for the third time this season to the New York Knicks last Friday night, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is not ducking the challenge to face his hometown team in the playoffs.
“It’s full circle. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Mitchell after scoring 42 points in a 130-116 loss to the Knicks. “What kid wouldn’t want to grow up and play against his hometown team in the playoffs?
Mitchell, a Westchester native, and the Knicks, who came close to trading for him last summer, are on a collision course for a first-round showdown in the playoffs.
The Cavaliers (48-30) need to win at least one of their remaining four games to clinch the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage. On the other hand, the Knicks (45-35) need to win at least two of their last four remaining games to book the fifth seed and forge a first-round matchup against Mitchell and the Cavaliers.
“It’s a storybook [matchup],” Mitchell added. “It’s something that’s special and near and dear to me to be able to play playoff games in front of my friends and family. A team that I grew up watching. Against an assistant coach over there (Johnnie Bryant) who basically taught me everything I know at this point. It’s great, and I’m excited about the challenge. It’s going to be a lot of fun if it happens.”
Be Careful What You Wish For
The Knicks have Mitchell’s numbers this season.
Jalen Brunson’s career-high 48 points Friday night capped a third straight win over the Cavaliers after losing their first meeting.
Facing the Knicks in the playoffs will bring back nightmares of last year’s playoffs for Mitchell, where Brunson dominated him in the Dallas Mavericks’ 4-2 series win over his former team, Utah Jazz.
Friday night’s loss was a painful reminder.
“I’ve seen this for the year. I saw the same thing last year,” Mitchell said. “He’s just shifty. He can get to his spots in different ways. The biggest thing is he had [nearly] 50, but he had nine assists.”
Brunson got everybody involved as seven Knicks players scored in double figures. And it came without the Knicks’ All-Star Julius Randle, who is out for the remainder of the regular season with a sprained left ankle. It was a statement win with two weeks to go before the playoffs.
Figuring Knicks Out
Despite the jarring loss, Mitchell remained confident they could adjust in two weeks’ time.
It wasn’t just Brunson’s scoring explosion. The Knicks’ pace and physicality also lorded over the Cavaliers’ young core.
The Knicks dominated the Cavaliers in the paint (54-46) and outrebounded them (48-33, 16-3 offensive rebounds), which led to more second-chance points (14-6).
You learn a lot more in a situation like this. I think we grow from this – even though the playoffs are right around the corner,” Mitchell said.
“We’ll probably see these guys in two weeks. This will be a good film session for us. Get in there, watch it, figure it out, and get better at it. We can’t sit here and say ‘they beat us by 14 in game 78, we’ve got a whole new series coming up, gotta be ready.”
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Donovan Mitchell Throws Down Gauntlet for Potential Knicks Playoff Matchup