Donovan Mitchell sends message as Cavs head into vital Game 3 vs. Pacers

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ backs are up against the wall in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Cleveland, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, dropped both Games 1 and 2 at home versus the Indiana Pacers, and NBA history suggests it needs to pick up a road win in Friday’s Game 3 to keep its hopes of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals alive. Never in NBA playoff history has a team lost the first three games of a series and gone on to advance.

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell seems to realize what’s at stake for his team on Friday, as he sent a message ahead of the pivotal Game 3.

“We’ve got to take care of business,” Mitchell said. “We ain’t got no choice. The biggest thing is, we should’ve had Game 2, but didn’t. Can’t dwell on that and go out there and tie the series up.”

Mitchell put together a herculean offensive performance for an undermanned Cavaliers squad in Game 2. With key contributors Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter sidelined with injuries, he nearly finished with 50 points. He totaled 48 on 15-of-30 shooting from the field and dished out nine assists in a game the Cavaliers lost by just one point.

He’s averaging an unbelievable 40.5 points per game through the first two contests of the series, as he dropped 33 points in Game 1 before his 48-point scoring outburst.

It would help the Cavaliers if Mitchell finished Game 3 with a point total that’s around his scoring average, but even if he can’t, Cleveland will have some major reinforcements in action on Friday.

It’s often necessary to put a lot of points on the board in order to beat a Pacers team that’s one of the more high-scoring squads in the league. Indiana ranks third in points per game in these playoffs and ranks tops among all playoff teams in field-goal percentage at 50.6.

It should be fun to watch a Cavs team that plenty of folks believed would represent the Eastern Conference in the 2025 NBA Finals fight to keep its season alive in hostile territory. The game should serve as a very good test of the team’s mental toughness and fortitude.