Donovan Mitchell: 'I Played Like S--t' in Cavaliers' Game 4 Loss to Knicks

Donovan Mitchell is taking responsibility for the Cleveland Cavaliers trailing 3-1 in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Mitchell was held to 11 points in Cleveland's 102-92 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 on Sunday.

"I played like s--t," Mitchell told reporters after the game. "I'm the leader of this group. Everybody did their job, and I didn't. Simple as that."

The loss was the "second- or third-worst playoff game in my career," Mitchell said.

"I didn't show up for my guys," Mitchell said. "Everybody did their job. We had our faults as a group, but ultimately, I didn't do what I was supposed to do."

The shooting guard added that he expects himself and the Cavaliers to bounce back in Game 5.

"I believe in myself, I believe in this group, we believe in each other," Mitchell said.

This is not the first time that Mitchell has taken the blame for a tough postseason loss. During his rookie season with the Utah Jazz, Mitchell similarly apologized for not showing up for his teammates after being held to 10 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets.

"Believe it or not, I've had worse playoff games, so I've been here before," Mitchell said Sunday. "It's just a matter of going out there and trying to be better for my teammates."

A low-scoring playoff performance from Mitchell comes as even more of a surprise this season than it did during his Jazz tenure, as he's fresh off a career year in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were looking for more offense when they acquired Mitchell in a blockbuster trade in September, and they got it. His career-best 28.3 points per game, including a franchise-record 71-point outing in January, was a key reason why the team made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

In 68 regular-season games, Mitchell was held below 20 points on only 15 occasions. In four playoff games, it has happened twice.

Even if the Knicks limit him as a scorer, Mitchell said he needs to find other ways to impact the game.

Although Cleveland is now on the brink of elimination, Mitchell said the team can bounce back. That may require him to return to the kind of dominant play he flashed in Game 1, when he recorded a game-high 38 points during the Cavs' 101-97 loss on April 15.

"It starts with me, if I'm being honest," Mitchell said. "I just have to be better. I have to be better."

The Cavaliers will fight to extend their postseason when Game 5 tips off in Cleveland on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.