Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell had a strong performance to lead his team to a 96-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the first round of their playoff series on Monday.
Mitchell scored a game-high 23 points, 19 of which came in the first half, and added eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block as the Cavs took a 2-0 series lead. He scored 30 points in Game 1 on Saturday.
The 27-year-old set the tone for the game with a 3-pointer early in the game. He had a brilliant performance in the first half but subsided in the second half. But he did come up with some big questions in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell was one of five Cavs players to score in double figures. Evan Mobley had 17 points and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 20 rebounds. Darius Garland scored 15 points and Isaac Okoro added 10 points off the bench.
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 21 points, and Franz Wagner added 18 points. Cleveland led by 22 points, but Orlando came back late but fell short. This is the second consecutive game in which the Magic have been held to fewer than 90 points.
Mitchell and the Cavs earned praise from fans on social media for Monday's impressive performance.
Through two playoff games, Mitchell appears to be on a mission. If he continues to play like this, Cleveland will have a great chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
The series heads to Orlando for Game 3, as the Cavs and Magic meet again Thursday at Kia Center. This will be Orlando's first home playoff game since 2020.
