Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers Defeat Raptors to Reach Eastern Conference Semis

The former Louisville standout took down Chucky Hepburn's Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs

Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates his three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two former members of the Louisville men's basketball program enter, and only one now remains.

Kicking off the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Donovan Mitchell and the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers were taken the distance by Chucky Hepburn's fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors, but found a way to come through when it mattered the most. With the best-of-seven series heading to the winner-take-all game seven, the Cavaliers took down the Raptors 114-102 on Sunday night to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

While Hepburn didn't see any action during Toronto's short postseason stint because of a torn right meniscus suffered in January, Mitchell was a driving force behind Cleveland's series win. Starting all seven games, he averaged 23.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on three-point attempts.

During the regular season, which was his ninth year in the NBA and fourth with Cleveland, Mitchell put together his seventh-consecutive All-Star season - one that could be worthy of All-NBA honors as well. In 70 starts, he averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 36.4 percent on three-point tries.

Cleveland's opening round series against Toronto is just the latest example of Mitchell elevating his play when the postseason rolls around. In 70 career playoff games, he's averaging 27.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent on threes.

Since entering the NBA, Mitchell has not only established himself as one of the best players in the association, but elevated to a bona fide superstar. In 609 career regular season games, Mitchell is averaging 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, and traded to the Utah Jazz on draft night - where he spent the first five years of his career.

Cleveland has a tall task on their hands in the Eastern Conference semifinals, as they will be taking on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons after they narrowly avoided a series upset from the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic. Game one is set for Tuesday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m. EST on NBC.

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(Photo of Donovan Mitchell: David Richard - Imagn Images)