Donovan Mitchell wasn't the only Cavalier at fault Friday, but his no-show was the biggest reason why Cleveland lost at home for the first time in the playoffs, highlighting not only his inconsistent play this postseason but his Game 6 misery.
In 37 minutes, Mitchell had more shots than points and as many turnovers as assists. The Cavaliers were outscored by 25 — the worst plus/minus on the team. His final line: 18 points on 6 of 20 from the field, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range, four rebounds, three assists and three turnovers.
This was the third time in 13 playoff games he's been held under 20 points and the third time he's shot worse than 40%.
Mitchell's quote
"I can't dwell on it. I missed shots tonight. Do I think some of them were tougher shots that I could have gotten better looks? Sure. But I could say that about every game. I'm not here to look at the fact that I missed shots," Mitchell told reporters. "It's just the overall force and impact of the game. Tonight I missed shots. I've been making them most every game this series and tonight I didn't. I'm not worried about that. It's more so everything else."
"We missed an opportunity. But we can't do anything about it. We gotta go out there and win on the road."
Series breakdown
Mitchell was all over the map in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, but here are his numbers versus the Pistons:
- Game 1: 23 points (9 of 19 FG, 4 of 10 3FG), four rebounds, two assists, three turnovers
- Game 2: 31 points (11 of 24 FG, 2 of 9 3FG), six rebounds, three assists, two turnovers
- Game 3: 35 points (13 of 24 FG, 2 of 8 3FG), 10 rebounds, four assists, three turnovers
- Game 4: 43 points (13 of 26 FG, 4 of 12 3FG), five rebounds, two assists, one turnover
- Game 5: 21 points (7 of 18 FG, 1 of 8 3FG), four rebounds, three assists, two turnovers
- Game 6: 18 points (6 of 20 FG, 2 of 6 3FG), four rebounds, three assists, three turnovers
Series averages: 28.5 points (45% FG, 28.3% 3FG), 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.3 turnovers
Even within games, Mitchell has been up and down. In Game 4, he had four points on 1 of 8 shooting in the first half and 39 points on 12 of 18 shooting in the second half.
Thompson's defense
Ausar Thompson, one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league, deserves significant credit for slowing down Mitchell. He's been shadowing him all series and using his length, athleticism and physicality to make Mitchell fight for everything.
Per the NBA's tracking data, Thompson had guarded Mitchell on 117 possessions in the first five games of this series, and Mitchell scored 15 points on 4 of 19 shooting, including 1 of 11 from 3-point range, with three turnovers.
Mitchell said he hasn't been bothered by Thompson, nor does he feel worn down from dealing with the constant pressure. However, his last two showings have been his worst of the series.
Outside of Game 4, Mitchell is shooting 32.4% in the fourth quarter, including 3 of 13 in the last two games. Regardless of individual matchups, Mitchell has also struggled to finish at the rim and has been ice-cold from 3-point range.
Game 6 history
Mitchell has now lost six consecutive Game 6s, including four close-out games, dating back to his time with the Jazz in the 2020 bubble.