The Cleveland Cavaliers made some significant progress during the month of February when it comes to their hopes of winning their second NBA championship.
Early in the month, they traded for forward De’Andre Hunter, who is seen by many as the one type of player they lacked — a rangy 3-and-D small forward — and he has played well for them since his arrival in Cleveland.
Then on the final day of the month, they fell behind by a wide margin in the first quarter versus the Boston Celtics, only to go on a spirited comeback and defeat the defending world champions 123-116.
Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points in that game, and he has been rewarded for a hot February by being named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month.
The Eastern Conference @Kia Player of the Month for February is Donovan Mitchell! #KiaPOTM pic.twitter.com/VyxpKxWfhi
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2025
Mitchell has carried the Cavs brilliantly since coming to town in the summer of 2022, but this season, his numbers are down a bit, as he hasn’t had to carry them as much due to the overall improvements they have made.
New head coach Kenny Atkinson has opened up their offense and gotten them to rank second in points per game and overall field-goal percentage and first in 3-point accuracy and offensive rating.
In February, Mitchell averaged 25.8 points and 5.3 assists a game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
Cleveland has the best record in the league at 50-10, and although 10 of their remaining 15 games in March will be on the road, their overall schedule in March looks relatively manageable.
But when things get difficult, they know they can turn to Mitchell to shift things into a higher gear and get them a victory.
NEXT: Evan Mobley Has Earned Notable NBA Award
