Donovan Mitchell made sure there was no repeat of his disappointing performance from two nights ago, leading the Cavaliers to a crucial bounce-back road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, 124-117.
The Cavs, now a league-best 35-6 at the halfway point of the season, remain one of the most consistent teams in the NBA, having lost back-to-back games only once this season.
“Heck of a win and a great way to close out the road trip,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. “We responded. Just came in bunches and we knocked them out. Very proud of the guys. That’s a heck of a win against one of the top-caliber teams in the league.”
Mitchell shouldered the blame after Thursday’s humiliating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder — a game in which Cleveland trailed by as many as 42 points.
But Saturday, Mitchell made sure his team wasn’t left searching for answers. After an overzealous Timberwolves fan wished him and his teammates “bad luck” in an elevator hours before tipoff, Mitchell took that as motivation, jumping out to a fast start with 10 points in the first quarter and 22 by halftime.
He finished with a game-high 36 points on 12-of-27 shooting, including 4-of-15 from three, adding eight rebounds and seven assists in just 33 minutes of action.
“He understands the moment,” Atkinson said of Mitchell. “I don’t know what it was like in the past. But I think he reads the situation, and he reads the game. Like, ‘Hey, this is the game, and they need me to step up and be ultra-aggressive.’
“I knew it right away. We ran the first play for him tonight and he got that layup, and I was like, ‘Here he goes. He’s in attack mode.’ Some games we don’t need that. But he feels the moment and tonight was one of those games.”
Darius Garland, who had 29 points, six assists, and five rebounds, praised his backcourt mate’s response.
“An MVP-caliber response,” Garland said. “We all knew he wasn’t happy with his performance (against Oklahoma City). We needed him tonight for sure. It gives us confidence. When he gets going, everybody else gets going. When he’s aggressive and in attack mode, it opens up everything else.”
The Cavaliers were without two key rotation players — Evan Mobley (calf soreness) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) — but still found a way to get contributions across the board.
Georges Niang and Ty Jerome both provided much-needed scoring off the bench, each contributing 15 points, with Niang adding 10 rebounds to record his second career double-double. Jarrett Allen also chipped in with 14 points.
“I thought Georges was our best defensive player,” Atkinson said. “He’s the kind of guy who makes the bench go.”
Cleveland faced an early deficit, but by halftime, they had evened the score. The Cavs took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 29-19 and pushing the lead to 10 in the closing moments of the period.
The Cavaliers came out in the fourth with an 8-0 run, effectively putting the game out of reach. Before the final buzzer sounded, Cleveland had a comfortable 20-point lead, with Minnesota unable to mount a late comeback.
“It was awesome how we responded,” Niang said. “I think it’s huge for us to continue to grow and get better and I think we did that through the first 41 games.
“People talk about us winning and the record, that has never been something that any of us in our locker room ever have cared about. It’s just us focusing on being a little bit better every single day and finding ways to be better so we are the best we can be in May and June. A championship is what we’re striving for.”
Mitchell also reflected on his team’s progress at the season’s midpoint, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded.
“For us to respond, that was great, and we have done it all year,” Mitchell said. “But every day it’s a challenge. Can we continue to be that team through this upcoming stretch? Have no doubt we will.”
The Cavs will return home for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup with the Phoenix Suns, set for 3:30 p.m. EST.
- Box Score | Cavs 124, Timberwolves 117
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