Cavs' Donovan Mitchell on Game 1 Loss to Knicks: 'This Is Not the End of the World'

Despite a loss in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is not hitting the panic button.

In a post-game media availability, Mitchell acknowledged that the moment was bigger than many of his teammates had experienced before, but getting through the 101-97 loss to the New York Knicks was the first step towards playoff success.

Mitchell is in his first season with Cleveland after being traded to the team in September. He has a lot of playoff experience from his time in Utah, but the Cavaliers young core is less experienced. Cleveland has not qualified for the playoffs since the 2017-18 season.

Mitchell dominated the game, leading all scorers with 38 points while also contributing eight assists and three steals in 44 minutes. The Knicks led for much of the game, but Cleveland was able to take a lead with 2:12 left, only for New York to squeak out the victory.

The home loss neutralizes some of the home-court advantage that Cleveland has in the series for being the higher seed, but Mitchell's claims add some perspective to the situation.

Mitchell's 38 points set a team record for scoring in a player debut, and he also joined elite company by becoming the first player to score more than 30 points in 20 of his first 40 playoff games since Allen Iverson.

The Cavaliers will host New York on Tuesday night for Game 2 before the teams head to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4.