Getty Images Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t hold back after the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 100-97 loss to the Miami Heat, where some disjointed offense doomed them late.
The Cavaliers managed just 18 points in the fourth quarter and Mitchell’s attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer came up short at the buzzer.
“We’re not executing well offensively. Whether it’s a turnover or a bad shot, you know, we’re not getting to our stuff quick enough and that’s just on us,” Mitchell said after the loss. “We’re playing as if we are a young team and haven’t been there, and if we want to get to where we want to get to, ultimately we have to be able to find that level of consistency throughout adversity. It sucks, we all feel it and we want to be better, but we gotta find that level of consistency as a group.”
The Cavaliers have not notched consecutive wins since January 4, going 4-6 in their last 10 games. Mitchell has been dealing with a nagging groin injury and missed some time over that span.
But nonetheless, he doesn’t like to see the losses piling up and the standings getting tighter. The Heat moved within 1.5 games of Cleveland with the win.
“I think we’re all kind of tired of coming here and saying, ‘We’re learning.’ You want to learn through success, and we haven’t played well,” Mitchell said. “That’s just the honest truth. We’ve got to find a way to do that. That’s on all of us.”
Cavaliers See Room for Improvement in Clutch Time
Cleveland is the top-ranked defensive squad in the league but points haven’t always been easy to come by. They’re averaging 111.2 points per game, which is 27th in the NBA.
For the Cavs, the game provided a playoff-like test and Mitchell felt the Heat’s experience in those high-pressure situations showed.
“You saw a team that’s been there and then you saw a team that hasn’t been there as a group,” Mitchell said. “That’s not a terrible thing. It’s not something that the sky is falling. We learn in these losses what it takes.”
With the loss, the Cavaliers are now just 4-7 in games decided by three points or fewer. Big man Jarrett Allen echoed Mitchell’s sentiment of the Cavs needing to learn from the narrow loss.
“I do think we’re in the right direction, it’s just frustrating when we take a step back sometimes,” Allen said.
Cavaliers May Not Shake Things Up at Trade Deadline
The Cavaliers are still trying to get healthy but will likely weigh some moves at the trade deadline. The most notable rumored trades have included Cleveland moving on from Caris LeVert or Cedi Osman, although there’s still a sentiment around the league that the Cavs could stick with what they’ve got.
“For the record, several rival executives told Hoops Wire they envision the Cavs standing pat ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline,” Sam Amico wrote on January 31. “‘They made their big trade when they got (Donovan Mitchell) before the season,’” said one.”
The move for Mitchell did cost the team quite a bit, although it’s paid off in a big way. The most notable need for the squad is a reliable wing, but we’ll see if they can swing a deal that makes sense before the February 9 deadline.