Donovan Mitchell makes a surprising admission about his Game 4 performance originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are now all tied up with the Toronto Raptors at two games apiece in their first round series. After the first two games of the series, people expected the Cavs to take over and cruise to the second round. That is not the case because the Raptors have fought back to regain momentum.
Now, the Cavs are headed back home for Game 5, desperate to get the momentum back into their hands. Unfortunately, they have not played well over the past two games, including superstar guard Donovan Mitchell. He himself has addressed that he has not performed to his high standards.
In the past, Mitchell always stepped up in the Playoffs, but he has been struggling as of late. In Game 4, he only scored 20 points, as he evidently had a hard time against the Raptors' pesky defense. Mitchell's shot chart looked abysmal, as he shot 6-for-25 from the field.
The rest of the team also played bad, as James Harden was the closest player to him, as he scored 19 points. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who are supposed to be the third and fourth-best options, combined for only 11 points. That is not a good look for the Cavs if they want to compete further in the postseason.
MORE: Raptors make surprising history in the Game 4 win against the Cavaliers
The Raptors have done a great job at defending the Cavs and limiting almost every scoring option. Moving forward, the Cavaliers need more production from every player, but they have to be more decisive and efficient. Mitchell himself knows this, which is why he was disappointed in himself.
"They protected home court, so it’s our job to do the same. We can’t sit here and be defeated. We made some mistakes. I wasn’t great. Just protect home court by any means necessary," Mitchell said after the Cavaliers' close loss in Game 4.
Mitchell is the Cavaliers' best player, and they want him to stand out. If he does not perform at his best, the Cavaliers could kiss their chances of a championship goodbye because this Raptors team are ready to play some scrappy basketball against them.
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