Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell Admits One 2026 Playoffs Game Still Haunts Him That It Seeps Through His Mind During Workouts

· Yahoo Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their best finish since acquiring Donovan Mitchell as their new star when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. However, that is not what most people remember. What dominated the conversation was the fact that they did not win a single game in the seven-game series.

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The Cavs were swept by the eventual champions, the New York Knicks, and for Mitchell, there is one game that could have changed the outcome of the series: Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.

They had an inspirational second-round win against the Detroit Pistons. After falling behind 2-3 in the series, they managed to win the next two games to advance and face the Knicks. It looked like they had carried the momentum from their Game 7 victory into the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they failed to play a full 48 minutes and allowed the Knicks to force overtime.

The Cavs led by as many as 22 points but gradually saw their lead disappear in the fourth quarter. They failed to stop Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, who finished with a game-high 38 points.

Mitchell said it is one game he wishes he could go back to and change the outcome of.

“If there’s ever a situation in my nine years, going on 10, which is crazy, where I’m like, you want a game back, I think, out of all the games, of course, that [Game 1],” he said during a guesting on the Cousins podcast hosted by real-life cousins and NBA greats Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

“We played so well in Game 7 [against the Detroit Pistons]. We riding and we carried it completely over to Game 1.”

May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers centers Jarrett Allen (31) and Evan Mobley (4) and guards Donovan Mitchell (45) and James Harden (1) during the third quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell says he thinks about it during workout

The Cavaliers’ amazing run in their series against the Pistons came crashing down in that Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Owner Dan Gilbert even had to come out and comfort fans who were hurt by the blown lead.

It is something fans will likely revisit forever, even if they do not want to. Mitchell is experiencing that same feeling.

The seven-time All-Star further shared on Cousins that there are random moments when the 22-point blown lead comes back to his mind. What he does now is use it as motivation.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after being called for a foul as New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) looks on during the fourth quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

“I was just telling somebody this when I was working out this morning. I’m talking to myself when I missed like three in a row. He’s like, ‘What are you saying?’ And I just said to myself, like, ‘18… 16…’ like counting the lead down in my brain,” he said.

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