Cavs' Donovan Mitchell Talks 22-Point Rally vs. Celtics: 'We Got Punched in the Mouth'

Donovan Mitchell acknowledged the Cleveland Cavaliers got knocked off their feet when they fell into an early 22-point hole to the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Midway through the third quarter, the Cavs were down 17 before pulling off a stunning comeback and winning 123-116. For Mitchell, this was another way for Cleveland to test its mettle before the playoffs.

"It was like, no championship is won tonight,” he told reporters. "So kind of just saying, like, look, all right, we got punched in the mouth. What are we going to do about it? You know what I mean? Like, how are we going to respond? And, that's been my biggest message. You know that, like, I said that about every game. And tonight was another example, just a larger audience."

Mitchell led by example on the court. He had a team-high 41 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, along with five assists and three rebounds.

Forward Evan Mobley (17 points and 12 rebounds) and Darius Garland (20 points) played important roles in the turnaround as well.