Cavaliers keep rolling when Donovan Mitchell goes off
Mitchell shines in a big road win
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a 119-105 victory in Orlando, powered by another huge performance from Donovan Mitchell. He finished with 36 points and nine assists, pouring in 27 of those points in the second half to pull the Cavs away. Mitchell shot 15-of-30 and added five rebounds and two steals in a game where his scoring carried the team.
Orlando was missing Franz Wagner for the matchup, but that didn’t stop Cleveland from playing a polished, attack-minded game on the road. Mitchell’s late surge was the defining factor as the Cavs closed the gap in the Eastern Conference standings.
Why this matters for the Cavs
When Mitchell heats up, Cleveland tends to follow — the team is 10-1 this season in games where he reaches 35 points or more. He’s been one of the league’s most consistent scorers, averaging about 29.1 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds across 43 games so far, and he earned another All-Star nod this year.
After the win the Cavs sit around 27-20 and hold a spot near the top half of the East, while Orlando is hovering around the play-in picture at roughly 23-21. A rematch with the Magic is coming up, and Cleveland will be looking to keep the momentum going as they push to climb out of the play-in danger and secure better seeding.
Last season Cleveland showed how dangerous they can be with a long winning run, but injuries and inconsistent stretches cost them in the postseason. If Mitchell keeps delivering nights like this one, the Cavaliers’ chances of staying competitive deep into the season look a lot better.
