By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Donovan Mitchell put the entire Cleveland Cavaliers on his back after draining the game-winning jumper to frustrate the Milwaukee Bucks, 114-113, in the ongoing 2024-2025 NBA Regular Season on November 3, 2024.
With only 9.8 seconds left and the Cavaliers trailing by a point, 112-113, the coaching staff gave Mitchell the huge responsibility of making the final shot after drawing up an isolation play from the top of the key.
After receiving the inbound pass from Evan Mobley, Mitchell milked three seconds before driving to his right and nearly lost the ball after Bucks defender Gary Trent Jr. deflected his dribble move.
Fortunately, Mitchell was able to regather and take control of the leather. After a quick spin to his left shoulder, the All-Star shooting guard rose for a perimeter jump shot that proved to be the dagger for Cleveland.
The Bucks had a slim chance of winning the game, with the remaining time adjusted to only 0.3 seconds. Out of desperation, Milwaukee threw the pass to Damian Lillard who didn’t have enough time to generate a clean look.
With the nail-biting come-from-behind victory, the Cavaliers remained the only undefeated team in the Eastern Conference with a 7-0 win-loss record, their best start since the Mitchell era.
The superstar gunner showed no signs of slowing down, dropping 30 big markers built from a perfect trip to the free throw line and an efficient 4/8 shooting from downtown.
However, it wasn’t an easy first half for the Cavaliers as the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard torched them on both ends of the floor, resulting in a comfortable 16-point cushion for the Bucks.
Lillard made it rain early from the three-point territory while Antetokounmpo showed no mercy and pummeled the Cleveland interior with his offensive put-backs and thunderous jams.
It was late in the second quarter when Cleveland started to regain their rhythm, kicked off by their signature pick-and-roll plays designed for Jarrett Allen and Mobley.
Mitchell then sustained them throughout the game, as his timely buckets answered every Milwaukee conversion in the most crucial stretch of the final canto.
Sam Merrill, Cleveland’s off-the-bench reinforcement at the shooting guard position, made the most out of the matchup against Milwaukee and impressed the Cavaliers with 17 big points in just 22 minutes of playing time.
The crafty catch-and-shoot sniper sparked Cleveland’s run in the second, revitalizing the Cavaliers’ rally without Mitchell inside the floor.
On the other hand, Milwaukee received a monster game from both of their stars as Lillard had 41 while Antetokounmpo added 34 points.
Despite the heavy scoring load that the 1-2 punch delivered, the Bucks’ disappointing start to the season continues as they fall to 1-5 in the Eastern Conference.
