The Cleveland Cavaliers survived a very physical game.
The Miami Heat tried to slow down the tempo and make the Cavs fight hard for every bucket.
The Cavs trailed by as many as 19 points at one point, but they still managed to fight back and get a nine-point win.
Nevertheless, Donovan Mitchell was far from satisfied with his team’s effort during key stretches.
Following the win, the former Utah Jazz draft pick acknowledged that the poor shooting also took a toll on their defense and energy:
“We let our offense affect our defense,” Mitchell admitted. “We weren’t making shots, got a little tired, a little stagnant, especially when the game got choppy with the fouls. Kind of got away from what we were doing.”
The Cavs still managed to shoot almost 50% from beyond the arc, and that was a deciding factor in this nine-point win.
Also, while the offense wasn’t as fluid as it’s been for most of the season, Mitchell was still able to get to his spots when it mattered the most.
Mitchell scored 17 of the team’s 28 points in the fourth quarter, with Darius Garland being the only other Cavs player to score a field goal in the final twelve minutes with a tip-in.
Needless to say, that formula isn’t likely to work when the Cavs have to face high-end competition.
They will need to get back to what worked for them in the regular season: A free-flowing offense with multiple cuts and movement with a purpose.
Even if stars always take over in the playoffs, the Cavs are a much better team when everybody gets touches on offense, and that should be a point of emphasis ahead of the third game of the series.
NEXT: Donovan Mitchell Gives Honest Thoughts About Playoff Adversity
