Mitchell was historic in round one.

Don’t take Donovan Mitchell for granted.

In a close, competitive series between two of the best defensive teams in the league, each bucket scored was critical. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, that meant relying on their offensive superstar to get them over the top. What followed was exactly that.

Mitchell scored 14 of his team-high 28 points in the fourth quarter of Game 5 to give his squad a 3-2 series edge. In Game 6, his herculean 50 points were not enough to get them over the top. (That’s what happens when no one else scores in the fourth quarter.) But less than two days later in Game 7, Mitchell poured in another 39 points to close out the series.

His 89 combined points in Games 6 and 7 were the second most in league history, one point shy of matching Allen Iverson who recorded 90 points in the final two games of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only other player in league history to shoot above 60% on 35+ shot attempts in a playoff game.

Part of what made Mitchell’s performance so special was his physical condition. Limited with a knee injury that neutralized his vertical lift, Mitchell compensated by bulldozing his way to the rim to convert some of the wildest running floaters. His performance was a reminder that, on top of his physical gifts and skill, what makes Mitchell special is his grit and toughness. To grind the way he did is proof of his drive.

The Cavaliers traded for Mitchell to be their heartbeat offensively. That’s what he was against Orlando.

The difference in Game 6 and 7 wasn’t Mitchell’s greatness, though. He was equally dominant —if not more dominant — in the game Cleveland lost on the road. The deciding factor was the help he received in Game 7 that was not present in the game before.

Now that Orlando was preoccupied with slowing Mitchell’s attacks on the rim — an opportunity emerged for the rest of the Cavaliers to step up. Mitchell’s drive-and-kick game finally began to open Cleveland’s shooters. His teammates just had to make shots and attack closeouts.

After Mitchell scored all 18 of his team’s points in the closing quarter of Game 6, he was matched in fourth quarter scoring by Evan Mobley (7 points) and outscored by Darius Garland (10 points) in the final 12 minutes of Game 7. Max Strus and Caris LeVert each provided double-digit jolts in separate quarters as the Cavaliers rallied back from an 18-point deficit to complete the largest comeback in Game 7 history. This timely support made it so that Mitchell’s heroic scoring efforts would not be in vain once again.

Mitchell’s leadership was on display throughout. He wouldn’t allow his teammates to sulk in the huddle — encouraging a slumping Garland to keep shooting the ball — and then rushing to hug him after Garland buried a backbreaking three-pointer late in the game.

The Cavaliers envisioned this level of greatness from Mitchell when he joined the organization in 2022. So he understood what was at stake, not only for himself after last season’s collapse, but for the franchise that so desperately needed to see an ounce of success after investing so much into this roster. It’s hard to imagine many players were facing more pressure this postseason than Mitchell.

Mitchell’s greatness was rising to the challenge, to be the player the Cavs traded for. His prolific scoring single-handedly kept the Cavs alive against Orlando. That same prowess will give them a fighter’s chance in Boston if his teammates find a way to support him in key moments as they did in Game 7.