Donovan Mitchell has been to the NBA playoffs in each of his 8 seasons, but he has yet to get past the second round. "That's why I wake up every day."

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — “It’s about being desperate.” Donovan Mitchell talked about the Cavs’ mental approach to the playoffs. After sweeping Miami, the Cavs are facing Indiana in the second round in a best-of-seven series. It opens Sunday at Rocket Arena.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just beat the Miami Heat in the first round, they buried them in a Cavalanche. A 4-0 sweep capped by a 138-83 blowout in Game 4 wasn’t just a statement; it was a transformation.

Darius Garland’s toe is still barking, and so are the critics. With Indiana looming, the Cavs face a test of depth, identity, and belief.

Miami Heat forward Kyle Anderson said after his team was swept from the NBA Playoffs that the Cavaliers were a better team without Darius Garland.

Sour grapes? The usual end of series blather? A veiled attack in support of his chastised teammate? A morsel of truth? In the aftermath of Cleveland’s four-game sweep over Miami in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs,