Donovan Mitchell says rising uninterested in dropping early within the playoffs has impressed his current performances.
Mitchell carried the Cleveland Cavaliers previous the Orlando Magic in Recreation 7 of their first-round sequence on Sunday, ending with 39 factors on the night.
It adopted his 50-point explosion in Recreation 6, and Mitchell’s 89 factors over the ultimate two video games of the sequence are the second most in Video games 6 and seven in NBA historical past, second solely to Allen Iverson’s 90 in 2001.
“I’m uninterested in dropping within the first spherical,” Mitchell mentioned after overcoming the Magic Recreation 7. “You’re employed too exhausting. We work too exhausting. That was my mindset … for me, simply be in assault mode.”
Making Mitchell’s efficiency much more spectacular was his battle with a knee damage that’s bothered him all through the season. He was grimacing all through Sunday’s recreation, however the ache did little to gradual him down.
“I’m battling via what I’m battling via, however I may battle via it and determine it out, or rehab it for the following three or 4 months,” he mentioned. “That’s the place I’m at mentally.”
Mitchell is averaging 28.7 factors, 5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in these playoffs. His success has come regardless of his lacklustre 25 % taking pictures from past the three-point line.
Cleveland will now tackle Boston within the second spherical, with Recreation 1 scheduled for Tuesday at TD Backyard.
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