Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are on a mission on Sunday night in Game 1 of their opening-round matchup against the Miami Heat. The Cavs want to send a message and prove why they deserve to be the No. 1 seed entering the NBA Playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and they will need to do so by winning the series opener at Rocket Arena. Cleveland entered the halftime break with a 62-54 lead, but it was clear that the Heat were not going to make it easy on them in Game 1. Mitchell wasted little time making his mark on the second half. He pulled off an eyebrow-raising up-and-under lay-up that showcased the six-time All-Star’s elite athleticism. Even the NBA had to react to Mitchell’s “unreal” play. The league was left in disbelief after seeing the slow-mo replay of the Cavs superstar’s reverse lay-in.
The degree of difficulty in that shot is insane, and the fact that the NBA reacted the way it did to Mitchell’s headline-grabbing play is a testament to the same.
As of writing, the Cavs remain in the lead after three quarters, 87-79, with 12 minutes of play remaining. Mitchell is already up to 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, four steals and one three-pointer in 27 minutes of action. He will need to keep his foot on the gas in the final frame if he wants to lead Cleveland to a pivotal Game 1 victory against an unrelenting Miami side.
Game 2 in Cleveland will be on Wednesday.
