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<h1>Cleveland Cavaliers' Disappointing End to Successful Season</h1>
<p><strong>By Jamal Collier</strong><br/><small>May 14, 2025, 01:13 AM ET</small></p>
<p>CLEVELAND -- Shortly after their season concluded with a surprising playoff exit, Donovan Mitchell sat on the bench, grappling with the shock of the Cleveland Cavaliers' performance. Despite achieving an impressive 64-win season, they failed to even reach the conference finals, losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers.</p>
<p>“I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it,” Mitchell stated after their 114-105 defeat in Game 5. The Cavaliers dominated the Eastern Conference, beginning the season with a 15-0 record and achieving three 10-game winning streaks, yet fell to the Pacers in a 4-1 series outcome.</p>
<p>The Pacers will proceed to face either the Boston Celtics or New York Knicks in the finals, having swept all three games in Cleveland. Notably, the Cavaliers had never lost back-to-back home games during the regular season and found themselves unable to hold on to a 19-point first-half lead in this decisive game.</p>
<p>"I love playing in this arena," Mitchell expressed. "The crowd and energy are incredible. We let the city down." The Cavaliers now join an elite group as one of four teams in NBA history to win 64 or more regular-season games without advancing past the second round.</p>
<p>Mitchell led his team in scoring throughout the series, averaging 34.2 points per game despite battling a left ankle injury, which was aggravated during the playoffs. He managed to score 35 points in Game 5, even while shooting just 32% from the field.</p>
<p>Mitchell has a strong playoff record, averaging 28.3 points per game over his career, yet he has yet to progress beyond the second round despite being a playoff participant all eight seasons. "We had plenty of positives, but we didn’t take advantage. Now we need to use this setback as motivation," he remarked.</p>
<p>Injuries to key players greatly impacted the series outcome. Darius Garland missed the first two games due to a toe injury, while Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter were also sidelined at critical moments. Cleveland's coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the challenges but emphasized that the Pacers clearly outplayed the Cavaliers throughout the series.</p>
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