Donovan Mitchell on Wednesday scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.
A seesaw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs’ 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the post-season.
The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining.
Photo: AP
Mitchell was one of six Cleveland players to finish in double figures against a short-handed Miami team missing Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Evan Mobley backed Mitchell with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Darius Garland finished with 15 points and 10 assists.
Bam Adebayo led Miami’s scorers with a game-high 34 points.
Photo: AP
The victory was too close for comfort for Cleveland talisman Mitchell.
“It took a collective effort as a group, but we locked down and got stops — but we’ve got to be better,” Mitchell said. “It’s always good to learn through a win though.”
Mitchell played down the significance of Cleveland becoming the first team to reach the post-season.
“It’s definitely a blessing and a sign of our hard work, but it don’t really mean much,” Mitchell said. “I’m happy we were able to do it for the crowd, but we’ve got a lot more to accomplish.”
Cleveland’s nearest pursuers, the Boston Celtics, powered past the Portland Trail Blazers 128-118 after a sensational pair of 40-point performances from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
White finished with 41 points, while Pritchard erupted for 43, delivering a shooting masterclass that included 10 three-pointers from 16 attempts.
“They were tremendous,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of White and Pritchard. “The way those two played says a lot about who they are. They do a lot of the dirty work. So to have a night like this where those two can show what they’re capable of was good for us. We’re lucky to have them and it’s a lot of fun to watch them do that.”
The Celtics improved to 44-18 with the win and are eight games behind leaders Cleveland.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder edged closer to a playoff berth after surging past the Memphis Grizzlies 120-103 on the back of a 41-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I’m just having fun with the game, nothing more than that,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. “I’m trusting my teammates, trusting the work I put in in the off-season, and just trying to have fun and play free.”
Oklahoma City improved to 51-11 and now lead the West by 11 games from the second-placed Los Angeles Lakers.
In Denver, Colorado, the Nuggets fought back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to score a 116-110 defeat of the Sacramento Kings.
Russell Westbrook led Denver’s scorers with 25 points, while Jamal Murray added 24 and Nikola Jokic 22.
The Milwaukee Bucks kept up their pursuit of the Eastern Conference’s front-runners with a 137-107 drubbing of the Dallas Mavericks.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks scoring with 34 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points.
The Bucks improved to 36-25 for the season and remain fourth in the Eastern Conference.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points apiece as the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away to complete a 125-110 victory over the Hornets.
Elsewhere, the Wizards silenced the Jazz 125-122 and the Clippers downed the Pistons 123-115.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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