DONOVAN MITCHELL SCORED 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs on Wednesday with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.
A see-saw 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 postseason.
The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining.
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.
The victory though 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 postseason.
“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.
- ‘Lucky to have them’ -
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’s double-act. “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 team-mates, 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, 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.
Elsewhere, 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, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points apiece as the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away to complete a 125-110 win over the Hornets.
Giroud celebrating a late equaliser to a minnow like they won the league again. Stop wasting time and take the ball out of the net and run back to the centre circle ya big eejit. Shows the arsenal state of mind and expectations these days.
@Brian: awaiting jordo to respond..
“f*ck off ur talkin Sh*t, Arsenil iz de best 2k17″ while calling you are barstooler, the Irony is lost on him.
@Jigz: anytime spurs drop points you are no where to be seen on this you gobshi*e
@Brian: he did the exact same thing last year when he equalised against Bournemouth in the 4-4. About 3 minutes left, Bournemouth rattled and he runs off to do his scorpion celebration. Rage enducing
Lacashit doing what he does best again today. Nothing.
@FPL Thommo: still better than flopkaku
@Jordo: How so?
@Dave Murray: same amount of league goals, and it’s Lacazette’s first season in the prem. Lacazette’s movement and all round play is better than lukakus in my opinion
@David Mc Nally: your talking absolute shi**
Lads no point cant argue with the resident 42,ie village idiot. More chance of getting a better debate from a wooden plank.
@Jordo: so are you !
@Jigz: stick to American football you cun*
@Jordo: bit salty pal?
@FPL Thommo: not salty at all. You’ve been proved wrong as per usual. Stick to the fantasy
@FPL Thommo: c’mon, you know by now, as long as you say nice pleasant things about Arsenal, you’ll be fine with him…
@FPL Thommo: 2 assists for flopkaku for city’s goals so far
Terrible result but st Mary’s has always been our bogey ground. How Wenger didn’t go 4-3-3 from the start with Wilshere in midfield is beyond me. Can’t believe Mertesacker started
I was reading recently that if you count accumalatively the goals/minutes ratio in Europe’s major leagues, Giroud runs away with it.
Like light years ahead of the even the Ronaldos, Lewandoskis, Suarezs, Messi, etc. Something like a goal an hour or something.
@Havid Dickey: I forgot to add it was accmalatively over the past 5 years.
There’s some big games today, why waste article space on this?
2-0 down after 10 minutes to united. 10 training sessions later and Arsenal go 1-0 down after 3 minutes. Defence terrible again. Bellerin terrible. Alexis terrible again, he’s now given the ball away SIXTY SIX times in the last 2 games and doesn’t want to be there but Wenger won’t drop him and blames time wasting for another poor performance. If city beat united today arsenal will be closer to the bottom of the table than the top. But hey careful what you wish for, there’s no manager in the world better than Wenger…
@Tom49: Alexis was poor again but no one is giving him credit for his cross to Giroud
@Jordo: with the talent Sanchez has, it’s what you expect to be honest.
@Jordo: doesn’t make up for his crap performances. Arsenal need to flog him in January and play someone who is interested. I don’t know what your stance is on the manager but I doubt we’ll even get Europe next season. I hope the changes behind the scenes are the start off the end for Wenger. Need new ideas and new blood badly
@Tom49: Wenger since last season. How Wilshere didn’t start today with 4–3-3 is beyond me
@Jordo: out*
Lookin forward to shearers view on this
Don’t know what all the talk is about vandyke thought he was very poor, especially for the goal.
@Martin McKenna: Van dijk*
@Jordo: sad
The Arsenal were robbed. Southampton with their anti football and kicking lumps out of Laca & Sanchez. Why are refs such bottle jobs against us Goons?? Frustrating.
@Whatshisname: stop going on about the refs. Wenger’s team selections is the problem
@Whatshisname: but we should’ve had a penalty