The Cleveland Cavaliers desperately needed a win.
They arrived in Utah’s rocky mountains riding a four-game losing streak, and that was their worst stretch of the entire season.
Fortunately, a date with the struggling Jazz was just what the doctor ordered for this team, and they didn’t have much trouble getting back to their winning ways.
When asked about that, Donovan Mitchell claimed that the team knew they weren’t playing up to their standards, but he also claimed it was all a part of the process:
“We know what it is,” Mitchell told cleveland.com while walking out of Utah’s Delta Center. “This is such a long year and we hadn’t been playing like ourselves. It was so uncharacteristic. But sometimes you go through that. For me and the rest of the guys, it was just like, ‘Let’s have fun and enjoy this.’
The Cavs were the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth this season, and barring a major disaster, they’re a lock to finish the year with the best record in the East.
They no longer control their own destiny in terms of getting homecourt advantage through the NBA Finals, though, as the Oklahoma City Thunder peaked while they were falling off a cliff.
A lot of their struggles have had to do with Mitchell’s inconsistency and lack of scoring efficiency.
That was the case as well again in the win over Utah.
He finished the game with 16 points on 13 shots, and he missed all five of his three-pointers.
Mitchell is the team’s best and primary scoring threat, and he will need to be at his best if they intend to get far in the playoffs.
This team has had an outstanding season, and it would be a shame to see it all go to waste at this point in the year.
NEXT: Darius Garland Reveals His Thoughts On Snapping Losing Streak
