Cleveland Cavaliers look to Donovan Mitchell to rescue Eastern Conference Finals
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has praised Donovan Mitchell’s vital leadership as the franchise attempts to overturn a 2-0 deficit against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The six-time All-Star produced a sensational 26-point performance to eliminate the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the semi-finals.
That decisive victory followed a highly turbulent 2025-26 campaign for the Ohio outfit.
Atkinson highlighted his star guard’s unwavering positivity after the side struggled to stay above a .500 win percentage in December.
Guiding a turbulent campaign
The former Utah Jazz standout responded to a dismal 18-point showing in Game 6 by adding eight assists in the series-clinching triumph over Detroit.
In the visitors’ locker room at Little Caesars Arena, Atkinson singled out the 28-year-old for guiding the squad through a demanding season that included a franchise-altering trade.
“We turn to you,” Atkinson told his most consistent performer.
“Not just your on court, but your leadership. Your positivity when things were really not going great.”
Overcoming past playoff heartbreak
This marks the dynamic playmaker’s ninth consecutive postseason appearance, yet his first three years in Cleveland all ended in bitter disappointment.
The Eastern Conference franchise suffered an embarrassing first-round exit to the Knicks in 2023.
They subsequently endured back-to-back semi-final eliminations, including a painful loss last season despite holding the number one seed.
However, the electric scorer has now successfully navigated his team to the conference finals for the very first time.
Facing a formidable New York deficit
Despite the landmark progression, the start of the current series has perfectly mirrored the squad’s rocky regular season.
Cleveland suffered a historic collapse in Game 1 by blowing a 22-point advantage, before falling to a heavy 16-point defeat in the second matchup.
As the series shifts to Cleveland on Saturday, the team must once again lean heavily on their talisman to protect home court.
“I’m not sitting here scrambling and trying to figure things out,” Mitchell stated following the latest defeat.
“At the end of the day, we make some shots, we’ll be in good shape. We’ll make our adjustments.”