Inside The Spurs

Donovan Mitchell's Brutally Honest Statement After Spurs-Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell wasn't happy with the win against the San Antonio Spurs

Matt Guzman

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the first half at Frost Bank Center.
Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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SAN ANTONIO — Donovan Mitchell didn't mince words about his team's performance despite leading all scorers on both sides Saturday night.

"We gotta be better on all fronts," he said mid court at Frost Bank Center. "There is no way. We got to be better."

Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the San Antonio Spurs and a Celtics loss to the Phoenix Suns. Cleveland held up its end of the bargain, but, to Mitchell's point, almost didn't.

Behind a trifecta of 20-point scorers in Stephon Castle, Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell, San Antonio forced a down-to-the-wire finish, but Barnes' final two-point shot couldn't fall.

In a sense, Mitchell saw it as a bail-out.

"It starts with me," the Cavaliers' star said. "Simple as that. Big time. We got to go out there and take care of business on Sunday. Play a full 48 (minutes) and clinch the (No.) 1 seed.”

Next up for Cleveland is a return trip home to face the West's No. 10-seeded Sacramento Kings. A win that night will secure the No. 1 seed in the East as the playoffs inch closer. Meanwhile, the Spurs will begin a four-game road trip in Portland against the Trail Blazers with only five games to play.

Tipoff from Moda Center is set for 6 p.m. EST Sunday.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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