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Tim BontempsESPN
NEW YORK — Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was uncertain about his standing shifting ahead after his groin tightened up on the ultimate play of Cleveland’s 105-103 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard on Tuesday evening.
“It felt the identical as earlier than,” mentioned Mitchell, who had missed the prior three video games with groin tightness. “I do not know what comes subsequent.”
Mitchell had tried to drive into the paint and tie the sport for the Cavaliers, however his shot was blocked by Knicks heart Isaiah Hartenstein for the second time within the sport’s ultimate minute. Then, after grabbing the rebound and kicking it out to ahead Evan Mobley — who missed one other potential game-tying shot as New York claimed the victory — Mitchell stayed down on the courtroom for an prolonged interval. He later mentioned he not solely was coping with groin tightness, but in addition cramping in each legs, all of which occurred on that ultimate drive.
He ultimately acquired to his ft and walked off the courtroom below his personal energy, although he was visibly upset whereas doing so. Later, Mitchell admitted the frustration got here from each a mixture of his poor play down the stretch — not solely did Hartenstein block two of his pictures, however RJ Barrett stripped him on a drive inside the ultimate 90 seconds — and being uncertain about his well being going ahead.
“I felt ok to return again, and for that to be the final 5 seconds of the sport actually pisses me off,” Mitchell mentioned after ending with 24 factors on 9-for-24 capturing to associate with eight rebounds, eight assists and 4 steals in 38 minutes. “However I fumbled the sport away for the group, and that is on me. Poor execution on my half down the stretch. They drew up excellent performs, and I simply did not execute them.
“It is positively each [frustration about the injury and his play], however extra so [the injury]. I am praying that I am all proper.”
Mitchell’s standing overshadowed what was a frenetic 48 minutes for each groups, because the Knicks — who had misplaced 4 straight — acquired again on observe with a desperately wanted win after play went back-and-forth repeatedly within the fourth quarter because of 36 factors and 13 rebounds from Julius Randle. However, from his vantage level, Mitchell mentioned the loss was solely on his shoulders.
“I screwed that up,” Mitchell mentioned. “The previous couple of possessions, I can cry in regards to the foul calls all I would like. I’ve simply acquired to be extra poised for our group. I had one turnover on a layup, regardless that I really feel like I acquired fouled, pull it out, run a play, get one thing. After which the second the place I airballed the layup, that is on me. I let the crew down on the finish of the sport. We performed a very good sport up till that time, all of us, and I did not do my job. And that is on me.”
His teammates, nonetheless, felt in any other case.
“I believe it is the emotion nonetheless going round,” Jarrett Allen mentioned. “He is considering, ‘What might I’ve accomplished higher? I ought to have accomplished this, I ought to have accomplished that.’ However all of us ought to have accomplished one thing. It isn’t all on him. I am not gonna say he did not mess up. I am not gonna say I did not mess up. All of us had an element to play on this sport.”
The feelings of the evening had been solely heightened by the truth that it was Mitchell’s second sport at MSG for the reason that Cavaliers landed him in beautiful blockbuster deal in September after the Knicks and Utah Jazz had talked a couple of attainable commerce for the All-Star guard for months. New York has now received each video games.
Mitchell, although, has been spectacular in his first season in Cleveland, averaging 28.3 factors per sport — good for tenth within the league — whereas capturing 48.1% from the sector, 39.6% from 3-point vary and 86.9% from the free throw line — all career-highs. He is more likely to be voted into the All-Star Recreation as a starter for the primary time when choices are introduced Thursday evening.