Donovan Mitchell's Lack of Help Lamented by Cavs Fans in Loss to Jimmy Butler, Heat
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell scored 42 points on 15-of-30 shooting (8-of-15 from three-point range), but it wasn't enough as the Cavs fell 119-115 to the host Miami Heat.
The Cavs offense sputtered at times without Darius Garland, who missed this game with a quad contusion.
Cleveland, somehow, entered the game 10-0 without Garland (22.0 PPG, 7.9 APG) this season, but the Cavs clearly needed him Friday to offer some more help to a dominant Mitchell.
The Cavs ultimately lost this game because they began the fourth quarter by scoring just nine points in the first 8:15. A seven-point lead became a seven-point deficit during that span.
Cleveland's offense woke up down the stretch, but then the Cavs had no answer for Jimmy Butler, who scored 12 of his 33 points in the final 5:11.
Outside Mitchell, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert each fared well with 16 points apiece. But Evan Mobley (12 points) and Jarrett Allen (six points) each had quiet nights offensively, although the latter player did have four blocks and finished plus-eight. The bench combined to shoot just 4-of-14 from three-point range.
After the game, some folks on Twitter lamented Mitchell not get enough help while putting the team on his back.
The Cavs fell to 42-27 with the loss but remain fourth in the Eastern Conference. They'll now visit the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
