NBA Playoffs: Donovan Mitchell leads Cleveland Cavaliers to first playoff series win without LeBron James in 31 years

By Matias Grez, CNN

(CNN) — The Cleveland Cavaliers fought back from an 18-point first-half deficit to beat the Orlando Magic 106-94 in a thrilling Game 7 and book a spot in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

After training 49-31 towards the end of the second quarter, Cleveland’s fightback in the second half was led by hobbled star guard Donovan Mitchell, who outscored the entire Magic team 17-15 in the third quarter.

Mitchell scored a game-high 39 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Cavs to the franchise’s first playoff series win without LeBron James in 31 years.

After scoring 50 points in Game 6, Mitchell’s 89 points in the final two games of a playoff series is the second-highest total in NBA history behind only Allen Iverson’s 90 points for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, per ABC.

“I’m tired of losing in the first round,” Mitchell, who is still struggling with a knee injury, told reporters, per ESPN. “You work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset.

“For me, just be in attack mode. I’m battling through what I’m battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out or rehab it for the next three or four months. That’s where I’m at mentally.”

Mitchell was helped out by 15 points from Caris LeVert and 11 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks from center Evan Mobley.

Paulo Banchero led the Magic with 38 points, 16 rebounds and three steals.

The Cavaliers will now face the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the team will be the considerable underdog.

Despite going into that series with the odds stacked against them – their chances not helped by Mitchell’s lingering knee issues – the five-time NBA All-Star, acquired by Cleveland in a huge trade back in 2022 with the view of challenging for a championship, was bullish about his team’s chances after downing the Magic.

“We didn’t make the group we made just to come in and win the first round,” Mitchell said. “We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That’s the mindset.

“When they traded for me, it wasn’t just to win a first-round series, it was to continue to push and move forward. And I think that’s where all of our heads are at.”

Game 1 of the Cavaliers-Celtics series takes place on Tuesday night at TD Garden in Boston.

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