With just 57.1 seconds left in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, Donovan Mitchell made two crucial free throws, pushing the Cavaliers ahead 119-112. This brought his point total to 48, marking what seemed to be a pinnacle moment for him as a Cavalier.
As of Tuesday, only a couple of teams in the play-by-play era had ever fallen in a playoff game while leading by seven or more points in the final minute. Following those free throws, it appeared Mitchell had sealed the deal. With key players like Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter absent, he had single-handedly tied the series 1-1, making him the first Cavalier, apart from LeBron James, to achieve 40 points and four steals in a playoff game. This comparison was apt, as James had frequently uplifted similarly undermanned Cavalier teams.
However, chaos soon ensued.
While Mitchell led the Cavaliers to an impressive season without James, he, like many, lacked LeBron’s remarkable endurance. In that last minute, it was clear Mitchell was exhausted, and the entire team followed suit. What resulted was an astonishing 8-0 scoring spree that ended with Tyrese Haliburton hitting a game-winning three-pointer, shocking the crowd and giving the Pacers a 2-0 series lead over Cleveland.
Mistake No. 1: Nesmith’s Impressive Putback
With 48 seconds on the clock, Jarrett Allen fouled Pascal Siakam, who missed both free throws. On the second miss, Aaron Nesmith charged in for a powerful putback dunk. Notably, he had started the play against an exhausted Mitchell, who offered minimal defense and ended up hurt on the ground.
Mistake No. 2: Mitchell’s Offensive Foul
Mitchell, caught in a physical battle with Nesmith, received the inbound pass but was cornered by Tyrese Haliburton. Trying to navigate out of the corner, he inadvertently elbowed Nesmith in the face, resulting in an offensive foul. This not only handed possession over to the Pacers, but also forced Coach Kenny Atkinson to pull Mitchell for defensive purposes, triggering a series of events that led to Indiana’s victory.
As the game wrapped up, the Cavaliers found themselves tangled in a web of errors during that critical final minute. Cleveland had closely managed Mitchell’s minutes all season, allowing him to play a career-low 31.4 minutes per game. However, without three key teammates, his heavy workload took a toll, culminating in an exhausting performance during crunch time.
