Cavaliers Quotes and Notes: What James Harden and Donovan Mitchell Said After Game 6

Hear from Cavaliers backcourt James Harden and Donovan Mitchell following Cleveland's heartbreaking Game 6 defeat.

May 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) watches the warmup before game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

A road team has yet to win a game in the first-round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.

Following Cleveland’s Game 6 defeat against the Raptors on Friday night, reality struck that the Cavaliers now face elimination in a must-win Game 7 at Rocket Arena on Sunday night. 

Cavaliers stars James Harden and Donovan Mitchell have to be better in Game 7. Cleveland’s frontcourt anchored by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen played their roles well in Toronto, and now it’s up to Harden and Mitchell to secure a bid to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

What James Harden said after Game 6

"There's no frustrations. I was frustrated for five minutes. There's one more game, can't let it live too long. It's the playoffs, great things happen. That's why I tell the guys to never get too high or low. Focus on your job and go out there and win."

The Cavaliers can certainly use more out of Harden offensively. The team swapped Darius Garland for the 37-year-old guard at the NBA trade deadline. He’s played in 17 consecutive postseasons. Even though Harden doesn’t have a championship, during his prime, he had the ability to put teams on his back to escape early NBA Playoff upsets.

In Game 6, Harden had 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting with four costly turnovers. His nine rebounds and nine assists helped, but the Cavaliers need their point guard to take care of the basketball and put it in the hole at a more efficient rate.

What Donovan Mitchell said after Game 6

Mitchell has struggled much worse than his backcourt mate and certainly needs to bounce back in Game 7. 

There’s a lot of pressure mounting on Mitchell, who has been unable to get past the second-round of the NBA Playoffs since the Cavaliers traded for him back in 2022. 

"Unfortunately but fortunately, half the roster has been here before. It's gonna test us. They're gonna fight, we're gonna fight. We did a lot of positives,” Mitchell said. “That doesn't go away because the ball went in the hoop. We just gotta win at home."

RJ Barrett’s heroic shot that bounced two meters above the rim before falling in was the reason why the Cavaliers lost Game 6. The Cavaliers fought all the way back in the second half. 

But Mitchell’s first half was dreadful, and part of the reason why the team found themselves in such a big hole. He finished Game 6 11-of-26 from the field and 2-of-10 from distance. The Cavaliers absolutely need more from their best player to finish the Raptors and protect their home court in the final game of this series.