Donovan Mitchell finally outgrew his Jazz playoff demons

The Utah Jazz teams, led by Donovan Mitchell from 2017 to 2022, always carried the "really good, just not great" label they simply couldn't shed when it was all said and done. In his first few years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it really seemed like history was repeating itself for Mitchell, but in his fourth season since jettisoning Utah, he is finally in the conference finals.

The Cavaliers made easy work of the Detroit Pistons in their anticlimactic Game 7 climax of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, winning 125-94. Unlike say, James Harden, Mitchell led the charge, putting up 26 points on 10-for-22 shooting, including eight assists and seven rebounds.

The box score doesn't do it enough justice, and Mitchell didn't do it alone, but he was the one dealing out the back-breakers.

This is important because up until tonight, the furthest Mitchell went was the conference semifinals with seemingly no hope of going further.

But now, that monkey is no longer on his back, as the Cavaliers have made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018, i.e., their last season with LeBron James. More than that, Mitchell took the Cavaliers even further than he ever took the Jazz.

Yes, it's a reminder of the most painful aspect of yesterday's Jazz team, but it's hard not to be happy for Mitchell with all the frustration he's had to deal with over the past few years. Mitchell didn't have the best exit from Utah, but he didn't burn the bridge with the fanbase when it was all said and done.

Unlike Gordon Hayward or Deron Williams, the fans should take this as a victory by proxy for the Jazz.

Can Mitchell & the Cavaliers go further?

It's always exciting to see Mitchell get this W, but there's always the chance the good times may stop there. Just take a look at the Philadelphia 76ers. They finally beat the Boston Celtics in the postseason for the first time since 1983 a few weeks ago, and never won another playoff game before the New York Knicks ousted them.

No one's saying the Cavaliers will meet the same fate, but it's been a while since the Knicks lost a playoff game. Not to mention they've had about a week off after sweeping the Sixers. The last time these two faced off was in 2023, when New York swept Cleveland in the first round.

There's no telling if history will repeat itself, but the Cavaliers were quite resilient after going down 2-0, then losing Game 6 on their home floor. Maybe they can keep up the momentum on Tuesday, but their work will be cut out for them.

Luckily, Mitchell's most recent milestone shows he won't go down without a fight.

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